A discarded needle is picked up west of Second Ave, W. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Needle exchange

Spring cleanup targets discarded needles

May 8, 2019 | 5:02 PM

A handful of volunteers and representatives from the Saskatchewan Health Authority spent their morning Wednesday scouring bushes, tree lines and empty lots in the downtown area for discarded needles.

Last year 750 needles were collected during the annual spring needle clean up. Paulette Martin, Prince Albert’s HIV coordinator, said volunteers find fewer and fewer needles each year, adding the city’s needle exchange program is working.

“Last year was about 98 per cent [exchange rate] and the year before was about 96,” she said.

One of the areas covered by the team Wednesday, was a wooded area near Second Ave. W and 17th Street. Old mattresses, clothing and empty food cans were found cleverly hidden amongst the trees. Martin said when searching for discarded needles, she looks for areas where people have been.

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“The places where they are camping, those are the spots,” she said.

Ward Three councilor Evert Botha lifts a mattress in search of needles. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

In a parking lot area behind some industrial businesses, Martin took a look under a semi- trailer and found several needles, and a bundle of clothes, including some that could only be worn by small children. She explained the sad reality is families living on the street look for any sort of shelter they can find on cold, wet nights. She added what the city needs is some sort of shelter, where people living on the streets can wash their clothes and even shower.

After walking through the area for more than an hour, less than a dozen needles were found. Martin said that’s the real sign the needle exchange program is working. In many cases, the discarded needles all have their caps put back on. Martin said they try to tell their clients, “one needle, one use, one time.”

“If you have a miss, well a clean needle is not going to give you a skin infection where as if you are using a needle over and over again it is going to give you an abscess,” she said.

Near the end of the search, Martin learned volunteers found 125 needles in an area where 500 needles were found last year. Harm Reduction worker Sean Dreher said not having the needle exchange program could be very costly for the city.

“If we did not have a program like this here in the city, there would be disease, infections and it would raise the health care costs,” he said.

What do I do if I find a discarded needle?

Paulette Martin told paNOW anyone who finds a discarded needle should place it inside a plastic container like a pop bottle, and then bring it to the Harm Reduction office at Access Place. Anyone who feels uncomfortable about picking up the needle can also call the Harm Reduction office, and a representative will come pick it up

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell