NEEDLE PENS SEND WRONG MESSAGE - DIRECTOR

The sale of a pen shaped like a fluid-filled hypodermic needle is
sending an inappropriate message to young people, says Pat Carlson,
executive director of Fredericton Emergency Shelters Inc.

"One of my social-work students arrived at the shelter to show us a
pen she purchased at the dollar store on the St. Mary's First Nation
Mall," Carlson said.

"It's an absolute replica."

The head on the pen clicks in and out the same as a needle and it has
a measuring rule which counts off cubic centimetres, mimicking the CC
levels found on the side of a syringe.

The fake hypodermic syringes could cause problems, Carlson said.

"I'm concerned that at a deeper level, that it says drugs are no big
deal. Play with it. Get familiar with it. This is a very subtle
message," Carlson said.

She believes the fake needles should be banned from stores.

"The message is about going soft on drug use to the point that it is
making a dangerous connection to youth, school and drugs," Carlson said.

"There really has to be some better scrutiny of what we consider toys."

Fredericton Police Force spokeswoman Cpl. Bobbi Simmons said police
will follow up if Carlson files a complaint.

Carlson said she would.

Hazel Brooks, manager at the St. Mary's First Nation dollar store,
said the fake syringes weren't a product that she ordered, but were
sent to the store along with other new products from its supplier.

Attempts to reach a spokesman for Toy Land Company of Vancouver,
which is an importer and supplier of toys and novelty items to
dollar-store venues, were unsuccessful Tuesday.

Brooks said she'll take a look at the syringe-pen product and may
remove it from public sale.