CAMPAIGN PROMOTES SAFETY WHEN DEALING WITH DIRTY NEEDLES

Once found only in back alleys and dumpsters, dirty needles now pierce city
parks and playgrounds and even industrial areas.

And while used syringes may pose a health risk, there is a simple and safe
means of disposing of needles and condoms. The Thompson Cariboo Health
Service area's public health department has launched a public awareness
campaign for businesses and residents on what to do with dirty needles and
condoms.

"First, finding a needle is not a 911 emergency so don't call 911,"
explained Gayle Carriere, HIV/AIDS outreach nurse in the region.

For someone who has come across a discarded needle, they need tongs and
heavy leather or rubber gloves. The needle should then be placed in a
puncture-proof container - pop bottle or coffee can - secured with a lid
and thrown into the garbage.

"A lot of people feel they need a special container but they don't. Once
it's inside a pop bottle or whatever, it can be thrown into household
trash," Carriere said.

When no tongs are available, extra care should be taken with "direct hand
to needle contact," she added.

With condoms, Carriere suggests using tweezers, tongs or gloves to put the
used condom into a plastic bag. Neither needles nor condoms should be
flushed down the toilet.

Carriere said more people are finding dirty needles and condoms in places
previously unheard of - certain areas of Riverside Park, under bridges,
along Rose Hill Road and in Aberdeen.

"It's really all over and we just want the public and businesses to be
aware," she said, especially with a citywide clean-up campaign set to get
under way May 22 to 26.

The public health unit is working with the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce and
the local business improvement associations to distribute brochures. As
well, Carriere hopes to work with the city and the Kamloops-Thompson School
District to get the message out to kids.

Children, she added, should never handle a needle or used condom.

"We encourage children to never touch it and alert an adult."

Carriere said the public should assume that dirty syringes are infected
with HIV or hepatitis B or C, although the chances of acquiring a disease
if accidentally pricked are slim.

The campaign is also to encourage intravenous drug users to not share
needles, return them to an exchange or dispose of them properly. The health
unit exchanges 10,000 needles on average a month in Kamloops.