NEEDLE RECOVERY PROGRAM GETS CITY SUPPORT

Thunder Bay city council is supporting a program designed to make
sure city residents don't get the point.

Council unanimously voted in support of the Safe Streets Needle
Recovery Program on Monday, which involves the installation of needle
disposal bins at locations where large numbers of used hypodermic
needles turn up.

The program is being developed by the city in co-operation with the
Thunder Bay District Health Unit, Superior Points, the Ministry of
the Environment, Evergreen United Neighboourhood and Thunder Bay Hydro.

The proposed disposal bins would be secured to utility poles at four
pilot locations in the Simpson Street area where Superior Points and
the roads division's waste management section have found high
concentrations of discarded needles.

Superior Points program manager Don Young said he was pleased that
the program got the go-ahead, but emphasized that injection drug use
is not limited to the locations chosen for the project.

"I am totally ecstatic at the city council and city administration's
support around this as a pilot project, but injection drug use and
high-risk drug use has no boundaries . . . so it's an issue in every
single part of the community," said Young. "I can see (the disposal
program) going city-wide after the pilot project's been evaluated."

The locally-manufactured disposal bins are yellow, prominently marked
with the program's logo and with biohazard warnings, and designed to
securely contain needles and to resist tampering and attempts at
retrieval.

Superior Points will take responsibility for the regular emptying of
the bins.

To ensure that those disposing of needles are made aware of the
project and of other safe disposal methods, city organizations are
doing their best to spread the word.

"Word of mouth is great – we've got a really active group,"
said Evergreen United Neighbourhood secretary Glenda Carleton-Shubat.
"Many of us are out in the spring cleaning up and talking to people
in our neighbourhoods and getting them involved, so they're part of
the solution instead of part of the problem."

A report on the effectiveness of the program is planned for next
spring.