This week alone, the collected 600 used needles B次元官网网址� nearly the same amount they collected in all of 2006, the first year of the clean team program.
B次元官网网址淥ne reason would be a lot of needles we find now are naloxone,B次元官网网址� said Rob Caunter, the manager of the Clean Team. B次元官网网址淚f a guy overdoes, they start pumping him with naloxone, and they just throw those away. One time I can understand an inappropriately disposed of needle is when youB次元官网网址檙e trying to save a guyB次元官网网址檚 life. ItB次元官网网址檚 life or death.B次元官网网址�
The Clean Team began removing graffiti, used needles and garbage 12 years ago, but Caunter said they only started finding naloxone kits in the past few years, when the fentanyl crisis began. Naloxone needles are longer than the intravenous needles, to get the drug into the body as quickly as possible. The spring inside the needle, Caunter said, is also popular for cleaning crack pipes with. But the naloxone needles only make up a very small percentage of the used needles they find, he added.
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This week, Robbins Parking turned in the 600 needles theyB次元官网网址檇 collected to the Clean Team. Each of their cleaning trucks carries a sharps bin. Caunter said more businesses downtown have been helping collect used needles. The Clean Team gives them a sharps bin, then picks them up once theyB次元官网网址檙e full.
The Clean Team looks for new needles, garbage and graffiti several times a day, and responds to daily calls from businesses between the waterfront, Discovery, Blanshard and Belleville streets. The area spans less than two square kilometres in VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 downtown.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 generally the same spots,B次元官网网址� Caunter said. Pandora and Johnson are the most common locations, as well as alleyways and Bastion Square B次元官网网址� anywhere with easy hiding spots or out of view.
Even though there are still a few months left to 2018, this year has already almost doubled the number of used needles collected compared to last year. As of September, the clean team had recovered 5,002 needles compared to 3,271 in 2017. The amount of needles has been steadily increasing, spiking in 2016 with 4,647 needles, because of the tent city demonstration, Caunter said.
B次元官网网址淚 think we have more users, using more needles. ItB次元官网网址檚 as simple as that.B次元官网网址�
On Oct. 16, staff from a company on Pandora Avenue found used needles sticking into the bark of trees. Since Caunter has worked with the Clean Team for more than a decade, heB次元官网网址檚 seen needles in most places.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not the usual way to find them. But Pandora has trees quite close to where there are some heavy use areas. WeB次元官网网址檝e certainly seen that. That still counts as an inappropriately discarded needle beyond a shadow of a doubt. But at least the sharp end is pointing in,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 not a malicious disposal of a needle, itB次元官网网址檚 just a foolish and irresponsible disposal.B次元官网网址�
There are multiple ways to safely dispose of used needles. AIDS Vancouver Island (at 713 Johnson Street) gives away two different types of portable disposal kits. The bright yellow bin can hold 70 needles, while the less conspicuous kit is almost pocket-sized, black and comes with a cooker, sterile water and a built-in section for up to 10 used needles. Both have labels identifying them as sharps bins and can be returned to AVI. Yellow metal bins are placed around downtown as well.
Caunter has another suggestion if a sharps bin isnB次元官网网址檛 handy: put a used needle in a clear water bottle.
B次元官网网址淭hen itB次元官网网址檚 in a clear, sealed container. ItB次元官网网址檚 important itB次元官网网址檚 clear,B次元官网网址� he said. Then you throw it in the garbage, and itB次元官网网址檚 done.
Businesses in downtown Victoria can call the clean team at 250-386-2238.
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