By Catherine Power
Ten needle drop-off boxes have been placed throughout the region to protect garbage collectors from being pricked by needles thrown out in the trash.
Between August 1999 and September 2000 there were nine cases of needle pricks to garbage collectors in the area. These incidents prompted the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton to pass a bylaw prohibiting residents from putting used needles or syringes in garbage or recycling bins.
But the regional health department had to provide other options for disposal, says Rita Pettes, the acting needle-exchange project officer.
“(About) 3.3 million needles are used each year in homes across the region for diabetes, hormone therapies or allergies. People need safe disposal options,” she says.
The needle disposal program is targeted towards people using needles at home for medical purposes. The HIV Prevention Clinic operates a separate program, which is aimed at needle exchange for injection drug users.
Some people using needles in their homes return them through the Take It Back program, which allows people to take used needles back to participating pharmacies for disposal. But the program doesn’t have enough locations, says Pettes.
“Drop-off boxes offer another safe and convenient way for people to get rid of used needles,” she says.
The black metal boxes closely resemble Canada Post mailboxes. The needles are dropped into an opening at the top, then fall down a chute into a locked biohazard container.
“The opening is too small for anyone to put their hand down the slot, so no one can reach the contents of the box,” says Pettes. “And we monitor them daily to make sure there aren’t any problems.”
Ensuring boxes are accessible is also a priority for the health department. Drop-off boxes have already been placed in 10 trial locations throughout the region, with one in Centretown outside the Preston Street Fire Station. Five are placed inside health clinics, and five are outdoors next to fire stations or hospitals where they can be monitored daily. Ten more drop boxes will be out by the end of January.
Pettes says certain drop boxes, like the one on Preston Street, are a definite success. “It’s in a high-density area that has an aging population with few options for needle disposal. The box is used quite frequently. We have to empty it every week.”
Any boxes that are still showing little use at the end of the trial period in December will be moved to another location.
The key to the project’s success is educating people about the boxes, says Chris Fitzgerald, who monitors a box at the Canadian Diabetes Association.
“The box is being used, but I expect the momentum will pick up as more of our clients hear about (it),” he says.
“It’s normal to have limited use of the boxes right now because we’ve just started the project,” says Dr. Edward Ellis, associate medical officer of health for the regional health department.
“But as more people learn about the boxes, the use has been increasing. The important thing is that we have already started to reduce the risk to garbage collectors.”