County Considers Needle Collection Program; Drug Users Bored
Millions of needles are generated daily by residents who inject themselves at home
Thursday, Jan 7, 2010 | Updated 2:54 PM PDT
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IV Drug user? Got needles you need to get rid of? Good news, the County Board of Supervisors said it will consider fire stations, pharmacies and hospitals as collection points for needles and syringes that residents are not allowed to put into the garbage stream or recycle.
Ok, regular non-addict folks need needles too. And they may actually use the program.
Millions of needles, lancets and syringes are generated daily by Los Angeles County residents who inject themselves at home, according to Supervisor Don Knabe.
State law prohibits residents from using trash or recycling containers for medical "sharps," which can injure or infect sanitation and landfill workers or pollute groundwater with leakage.
The Department of Public Works makes available puncture-proof containers at 100 locations for free. But, once filled, the containers can be dropped off at only eight collection centers or 14 health clinics countywide.
Since other county agencies, such as the fire department, also have to dispose of sharps, the board asked staffers to identify additional county facilities that might be used as collection sites.
The group also will consider whether elderly or disabled residents could be supplied with containers to be mailed back to the county for disposal.
The board asked staffers to return to the board with a plan within 18 months.
