Results of Sharps buy back program unveiled

A successful Sharps buy back program for the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit.
Officials say about 38,000 sharps were returned to the Health Unit in North Bay with nearly 11,000 returned to the Alliance Centre in West Nipissing.
The initiative was launched to promote the safe handling of used sharps.
The primary audience was those that use drugs, with the initiative also connecting people with harm reduction and health services.
Officials say even though the buy back program has concluded, sharps disposal and exchange services are still available at the health unit and other service providers like the AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area and the Alliance Centre.
They also offer the following safety tips if a sharp is found in the community:
– Do not walk while holding the sharp object
– Bring a puncture-proof, hard-sided, leak-proof container with a lid, such as a pickle jar or bleach container, to the area where the sharp was found
– Do not recap, bend, break the needle or manipulate it by hand in any way
– Place the object in the container. Use disposable gloves or puncture-proof gloves and tongs, if available. If tongs are not available pick up the needle/sharp from the blunt end and secure the lid
– Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water
– Label the container “hazardous waste¨ and bring to the Health Unit for proper disposal

(photo by station staff)