News (Media Awareness Project) - CN SN: Campaign Tackles Needle Mess |
| Title: | CN SN: Campaign Tackles Needle Mess |
| Published On: | 2009-04-23 |
| Source: | StarPhoenix, The (CN SN) |
| Fetched On: | 2009-04-27 02:22:52 |
CAMPAIGN TACKLES NEEDLE MESS
Volunteer Tracy Ridalls holds up a translucent yellow container full
of discarded needles.
"Something needs to be done to help those people who probably would
like to dispose of their needles in a safe way," said Ridalls. The
Caswell Hill resident was part of a group of about 40 volunteers,
business owners, firefighters and health-care workers who teamed up to
scour streets, alleys and parks for abandoned syringes in the annual
spring needle cleanup.
Her group had just picked up a partially used package of syringes cast
off beside a dumpster behind a restaurant off 33rd Street West.
"Someone has to do it," she said. "It, for me personally, highlights
the need for a safe injection site in the city."
Cleanup crews searched west of Idylwyld Drive to Witney Avenue and the
Mayfair area, finding 331 needles. They searched more than 40 parks.
Last year, the group found 372 needles on its walk. In 2008, 54,978
needles in total were collected in spring cleanups and at needle drop
boxes.
The Saskatoon Health Region distributes a little more than one million
needles through its exchange program each year. Ninety-three per cent
of the needles, or about 930,000, are returned.
This does not include those that are returned to any of the 12 needle
dropoff boxes in the city, which may make up some of the 70,000
needles handed out by the region that go uncounted.
"It's a small, small minority" of people who do not get rid of their
used needles properly, said Dr. Johnmark Opondo, deputy medical health
officer for the Saskatoon Health Region.
Ridalls believes one reason needles aren't returned to the health
region may be that users feel stigmatized. She thinks a safe injection
site would provide a place for people to get help.
"People don't really understand what a safe injection site is,"
Ridalls said. "It's not just a place to go and inject drugs. It's
about a place to get education and where you can get assistance and
health care . . . where you can attempt to maybe not do drugs anymore,
maybe not shoot up anymore."
Volunteer Tracy Ridalls holds up a translucent yellow container full
of discarded needles.
"Something needs to be done to help those people who probably would
like to dispose of their needles in a safe way," said Ridalls. The
Caswell Hill resident was part of a group of about 40 volunteers,
business owners, firefighters and health-care workers who teamed up to
scour streets, alleys and parks for abandoned syringes in the annual
spring needle cleanup.
Her group had just picked up a partially used package of syringes cast
off beside a dumpster behind a restaurant off 33rd Street West.
"Someone has to do it," she said. "It, for me personally, highlights
the need for a safe injection site in the city."
Cleanup crews searched west of Idylwyld Drive to Witney Avenue and the
Mayfair area, finding 331 needles. They searched more than 40 parks.
Last year, the group found 372 needles on its walk. In 2008, 54,978
needles in total were collected in spring cleanups and at needle drop
boxes.
The Saskatoon Health Region distributes a little more than one million
needles through its exchange program each year. Ninety-three per cent
of the needles, or about 930,000, are returned.
This does not include those that are returned to any of the 12 needle
dropoff boxes in the city, which may make up some of the 70,000
needles handed out by the region that go uncounted.
"It's a small, small minority" of people who do not get rid of their
used needles properly, said Dr. Johnmark Opondo, deputy medical health
officer for the Saskatoon Health Region.
Ridalls believes one reason needles aren't returned to the health
region may be that users feel stigmatized. She thinks a safe injection
site would provide a place for people to get help.
"People don't really understand what a safe injection site is,"
Ridalls said. "It's not just a place to go and inject drugs. It's
about a place to get education and where you can get assistance and
health care . . . where you can attempt to maybe not do drugs anymore,
maybe not shoot up anymore."
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