By Spencer Sterritt

More than 130,000 needles not returned in last year

Jul 11, 2016 | 5:00 PM

Nearly 10 per cent of all needles handed out in Prince Albert during the last year weren’t returned to a deposit site.

From April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 nearly 1.3 million needles were issued according to the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region. Approximately one million were returned directly by users, while 34,000 were returned to a drop box and roughly 47,000 were dropped off by community members.

More than 123,000 needles weren’t returned to a safe exchange location in P.A.

Brett Enns, vice-president of primary community services with the health region, said he never expected every needle handed out to be returned.

“Our ultimate goal obviously is always try and have a zeroed out balance, but because there are a number of different communities involved I don’t think we’ll ever have that possibility of happening,” he said.

TOP CHEFS

P.A. firefighters show off their best cooking skills and win big

3h ago

Special day

Elderly lovebirds tie the knot during ceremony in Rosthern

7h ago

RED DRESS DAY

'More that needs to be done': P.A. to mark Red Dress Day with solemn ceremony

May 04, 2024

Prince Albert is a hub centre for health services and needle distribution for northern and central Saskatchewan, which leads to higher needle statistics, according to Enns.

He said many needles they hand out may be returned in other locations around the province and not counted in P.A. statistics.

To increase the number of returned needles, Enns said health region staff is focusing on encouraging both users and civilians to bring any needle they use or find to the Access Place needle exchange site or dispose of the needle properly.

If anyone finds a needle on the ground, they’re asked to very carefully and using glove protection place the needle in a sealed container such as a pop bottle and throw it in the garbage.

Behind every needle on the ground is a larger story about abuse, Enns said. It could be sexual assault, domestic violence, a lack of safe and readily-accessible food or similar issues which lead someone to drug abuse and ensuring addictions.

“It’s just the paint on the wall,” he said. “There are all kinds of complexities behind what you see as the end result on the ground somewhere.”

ssterritt@panow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit