CAUTION: HANDLE NEEDLES WITH CARE

It's not uncommon to find discarded syringes lying on the ground around the
Capital Region. The question many ask is, what should I do if that occurs?

Needless to say, if someone does come across a syringe on the ground, a
certain degree of caution should be exercised. it's possible to transmit
disease through tainted needles, especially if the needle was originally
used by a person who is high risk for disease, such as an intravenous drug
user.

Marykay MacVicar is the acting coordinator for street outreach services for
AIDS Vancouver Island, which operates a needle exchange at 1601 Blanshard St.

"The first thing an adult can do is just take a look around for any kind of
puncture-proof containers," she says, about what you should do if you come
across a discarded syringe.

After finding a container, such as a pop bottle, tin can or jar, it should
be placed on the ground beside the needle, says MacVicar. Once that's done,
the syringe should be carefully picked up with one hand by the plunger-end
of the needle and inserted with the point facing down into the container,
she explains.

MacVicar says it is ideal if the person who finds the syringe is able to
place it in a container with a lid on it.

If not, the person could bring the syringe in an open container home and
put it into something that does have a lid on it, she says. If the syringe
is properly contained it could be thrown into the garbage but another
option is to bring it to the needle exchange for disposal, says MacVicar.

She also notes volunteers with the needle exchange from AIDS Vancouver
Island will collect syringes, when people report finding needles on the
ground in public space.

MacVicar says it's important for someone who finds a syringe with a cap
lying beside it not to try and put the cap back on the point of the needle,
as that could result in the person accidentally being poked.

"The other thing that I think is important is that kids don't touch
syringes," she says. The message for them is if they see one, they should
go tell an adult. Cpl. Vince Greensill, the Esquimalt police community
liaison officer, says if people are uncomfortable with picking up discarded
syringes, they can call the police.

"Mark where it is and call the police and tell them where it is and we'll
pick them up," he says.

Greensill notes any syringes that people bring in or police find are taken
back to the Esquimalt police station and placed in a "sharps container".

"If people bring them in here, we'll dispose of them," he says.

Dr. Linda Poffenroth, deputy health officer for the Vancouver Island Health
Authority (VIHA), says the main concern she has with people finding
syringes on the ground is the risk for injury, as the point of the needle
can still be sharp.

"There's also some risk of infection," she says.

Depending on how long a syringe has been lying on the ground, she says
there's a small risk of a blood-born virus still being present in the needle.

However, Poffenroth stresses that the VIHA has never received a report of
anyone in the Capital Region being infected with the AIDS virus after being
poked by a needle. She points out that the AIDS virus isn't "robust enough
to survive that environment for any great length of time".

"There is small risk of transmission of the hepatitis B or C viruses, so
they're the ones that we're concerned about," explains Poffenroth.

That said, she says if someone is poked by a discarded needle they should
go to the hospital for an assessment.

The issue of syringes found on the ground in some areas of Greater Victoria
has been a growing concern in the region for the past 10 years, says
Poffenroth.

"I would say in the last six to eight months, we've heard more concerns
about used syringes being found," she says.