A 'Sharps Buy Back' campaign has seen 38,000 needles or syringes returned to the Health Unit’s North Bay site and roughly, 10,800 returned to the Alliance Centre in West Nipissing during a month-long period.
The initiative was launched by the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit in November and is seen as a big success.
See: Health Unit launches program to encourage needle exchange
People who use illegal substances and those who use prescription drugs returned sharps to the Health Unit and were given a $5 gift card for every 100 used sharps, needles or syringes, brought in.
The Sharps Buy Back program collected and promoted the safe handling of used sharps. The primary target was individuals who use drugs. The initiative also aimed to connect people with harm reduction and health services offered through the Health Unit and the Alliance Centre
“It is important that we offer safe, judgment-free options for sharps disposal and other harm reduction services,” said Katharine O’Connell, Community Health Promoter at the Health Unit.
While the incentive campaign only ran through November, the Health Unit along with other service providers such as the AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area and the Alliance Centre (West Nipissing), provide sharps disposal and exchange services year-round. Harm reduction programs are part of the Health Unit’s mandate with the goal of reducing the harm associated with using drugs.
Needle exchange services are proven to reduce the spread of infection without increasing intravenous drug use says the Health Unit in a news release.
If a sharp is found in the community, follow these instructions to pick it up safely:
- Do not walk while holding the sharp object
- Bring a puncture-proof, hard-sided, leak-proof container with a lid, such as a pickle jar or bleach container, to the area where the sharp was found
- Do not recap, bend, break the needle or manipulate it by hand in any way
- Place the object in the container. Use disposable gloves or puncture-proof gloves and tongs, if available. If tongs are not available, pick up the needle/sharp from the blunt end and secure the lid
- Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water
- Label the container “hazardous waste” and bring to the Health Unit for proper disposal
