Pubdate: Thu, 25 Jun 2015
Source: Richmond News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015, Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.richmond-news.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1244
Author: Alan Campbell

A TALE OF TWO NEEDLES

The Richmond News found needles outside its No. 3 Road office. Do you
know what to do if you find used hypodermic syringes?

Would you know what to do if you found a used hypodermic needle in
your yard or in your office parking lot in Richmond?

We, at the Richmond News, had no idea what to do when we discovered
two such items at the side of our building on No. 3 and Lansdowne
roads last week.

At first blush, it seemed straightforward and, after a quick Google
search, we called the "Needle Pick-up Hotline" and left them a
voicemail with our address. Simple enough?

Alas, the gentleman from the 20 hours per day service, run in
conjunction with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), called back to say
they only operate in Vancouver.

More Internet trawling led to a call to Richmond Health Services, a
provincial government agency under VCH, which seemed to offer some
resolution to the needle dilemma.

Some telephone tag later produced a conversation with a very helpful
Richmond environmental health officer, Dalton Cross, who explained
that the City of Richmond, with special tools, would come deal with
the needles if they were found on city property.

"If the needle is on private property," said Cross, "it's basically up
to the person in question to deal with it."

"Here, in Richmond, there are no programs in place (such as in
Vancouver) to deal with the situation.

"There is a needle exchange (at Richmond Hospital) and some pharmacies
may take them if the needles are in a 'sharps container,' which you
can buy in most pharmacies.

"When picking them up, though, don't touch them; use tongs or
something to pick them up and put them in the sharps."

Cross said Richmond, thankfully, doesn't have the demand for a
dedicated needle pick-up service that Vancouver does.

"Richmond hasn't grown to that extent; you're only the second person
this year that's called about this," Cross told us.

Armed with a new sharps container, the News, with the help of salad
tongs (which were binned afterwards), carefully placed the needles
into the red tub.

The story doesn't quite end there, however.

After arriving at Richmond Hospital, in search of the aforementioned
needle exchange at the Gilwest clinic, we were directed rather vaguely
down a corridor by the main reception.

There was more searching around for 10 minutes or so - with no staff
anywhere to help - looking in vain for the clinic.

The Gilwest desk finally located, the News stood for another five
minutes, waiting for someone to appear, before realizing on a piece of
paper taped to the wall that the clinic was only open for a couple of
hours on a Monday.

Having already spent about five hours over two days trying to dispose
responsibly of two needles, the News, safe in the knowledge the
offending items were in a safe place, tucked the sharps container
behind the clinic's desk.

We apologize if this was irresponsible.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt