Sharps containers aren’t always easy to get to in Saint John.
Diane Kerns, the program coordinator for Avenue B Harm Reduction, said sharps containers are for people who want to safely dispose of needles, but they are expensive to purchase.
“We in fact use a heavy made plastic bottle, laundry detergent bottles are acceptable as vessels to return their used syringes and we encourage people to use that. So we do receive needles in all kinds of containers,” she said.
After a Saint John resident posted on social media that she was having difficulties finding the Sharps containers in public, she received plenty of suggestions for how to safely dispose of used needles for her gestational diabetes.
Kerns said the problem with different containers is they aren’t all puncture-resistant which means there could be a pinprick injury.
She said if there isn’t anything else to transport the used needles in, the best option is a laundry detergent bottle, to avoid the possibility of a pin prick injury.
Avenue B is planning on rolling out three mailbox-sized containers for used needles in the next three weeks.
Sharps containers are used to safely dispose of needles. (Photo: Stephanie Sirois)
“The smaller boxes only hold two to three hundred, these larger ones would hold well over probably closer to two thousand if they were cram packed full, so it’s a big jump,” she said.
Kerns said there is still stigma to work on regarding the Sharps containers. She said three years ago when Avenue B was installing Sharps containers in outside areas, a business owner called to complain about the set up, saying they didn’t want that near their business.
“Our response to that was the needles that are found in and around that area, having them off the ground is probably more helpful to the business, than the harm that he or she might potentially perceive from the box being located near them,” she said.
Kerns said it’s all about education and when people know what and why the containers are being installed, they tend to come on board. She said used syringes are comparable to garbage – if the container is there, it’s less likely to show up on the streets.
Avenue B Harm Reduction is a nonprofit community organization aimed at improving quality of life for those infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS and education to reduce the spread of HIV.
