Grandmother calls for more drop boxes after grandson poked by needle

To help prevent similar incidents from occurring, Lavallee believes installing more needle drop-off boxes would be a step in the right direction. Currently, there is one in Patterson Park and another behind the clinic, but she wants them to be more widespread in town, Air Ronge and on-reserve.

Lavallee is also supportive of safe injection sites as a possible way to stem the spread of dirty needles. Not only would drug addicts have a place to deposit used needles, but they’d have a safe place to be and tests to ensure the drugs they are taking aren’t laced with something else.

“They need more drop boxes around town that’s for sure because it’s here and it’s not going to go away,” Lavallee said. “There needs to be more information about what to do when this happens and a better plan of action when it does.”

Saskatchewan Health Authority Deputy-Medical Health Officer Dr. Anne Huang, who is based in La Ronge, stated she’s supportive of Lavallee’s idea for the placement of more disposal bins. She noted, however, public health is unable to do so because they require the permission from other local leaders. For instance, she said Air Ronge council was asked in the past to place drop-off boxes in the municipality and the request was refused.

“I bring that up because it’s not a unique situation for the Village of Air Ronge, it’s actually something public health has been working on for a long time is in terms of changing people’s minds about the public health benefits of harm reduction programs,” Huang said. “That meant if we are wanting to provide harm reduction services, the clean needle distribution or needle returning services like a yellow drop box outdoors or indoors through yellow needle collection boxes inside bathrooms, we actually require approval from the town council or chief and council for First Nations communities.”

In regards to the risk of contracting diseases through accidental exposure to dirty needles, Huang said there is no risk of infection for HIV and Hepatitis C. That’s because those virus don’t survive well externally without a host. She also mentioned the La Ronge Health Centre and Scattered Site provide clean needles to drug users specifically to stop the spread of blood-bourne infections.

If used needles are found by the public, children should not touch them and they should tell an adult. Haung recommends adults to pick the needle up by the blunt end and place it in a strong container. The needle can then be disposed of at the La Ronge Health Centre or at one of the drop-off bins downtown.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno

by Derek Cornet

Grandmother calls for more drop boxes after grandson poked by needle

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