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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2014-04-16, Page 7Wednesday, April 16, 2014 • News Record Be sharp about spring clean-up With the snow finally melting, there is a lot of garbage showing up. The Huron County Health Unit is reminding people to be careful picking up any sharp object. Sharp objects, such as used needles, razor blades or any item that could cut skin should be handled carefully. Parents should tell children to never touch any- thing sharp and to tell an adult. Adults can safely pick up a sharp object by the following steps: • Get a free sharps container if you find a needle. Call the health unit at 519-482-3416 or after hours at 519- 482-7077 to ask where in your community you can get the container and where you can take it when you have put the sharp object in. • If that is not possible, bring a non -breakable, puncture proof container with a screw-top lid — like a thick plastic car, empty bleach bottle or water bottle to where the sharp object is. • Use pliers, tongs or tweezers to pick up the object. • If it is a needle, hold the needle tip away from you. • Put the needle into the container needle end first. • Close the container tightly. • Wash your hands. • Take the container to the site recommended by the health unit. Like all health units in Ontario, the Huron County Health Unit offers a needle exchange program with community partners in the county. Needle exchange pro- grams help ensure that injection drug users have access to sterile injection equipment to prevent transmission of HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and other blood-bome diseases. The health unit distributes thousands of free needles a month to Huron County residents who are injection drug users. The program is currently offered at two sites in the county, with more scheduled to be opened in 2014. Used needles can be returned to the sites for safe disposal. Needle exchange program rolling out in Huron County Clean, safe and AV addressing a growing need Gerard Creces Clinton News -Record Clean needles keep everyone safe. The Huron County Health Unit is still working with community partners to implement a new needle exchange pro- gram. The program has been in place in the county since November, when it was passed at the Board of Health. While there are a couple locations for intravenous drug users to get and return clean needles currently in the county, the need for increased accessible serv- ice is still very prevalent. Prior to the implementation of a local program, Huron County users were traveling to Middlesex and Perth coun- ties for needles and supplies. While it is not an exact number, Public Health Nurse at the HCHU, Shelley Spence, said county residents used between 5,000-10,000 needles a month - mostly obtained at exchange clinics in London. "We have known there are people in the community in need of this service - now we have the opportunity and the partners on board," Spence said. "We are very pleased this has happened in this direction." Thus far, return rates have been high, and studies show that needle exchanges greatly reduce the amount of needles found in the community. The program also offers IV drug users the opportunity to speak directly to people at the clinic as well, learning more about the program itself and giv- ing their feedback as to how it works and how it can be improved. Since being passed in November, the health unit has been trying to engage people to be a host for needle exchange sites, and Spence noted the response has been quite positive. "People are buying in," she said, cit- ing methadone clinics in both Exeter and Seaforth. "It didn't really take long - doing this sort of background infor- mation takes the longest part. Some- thing like this needs assessment and ground work:' For users themselves, the feedback has also been good. In fact, Spence said, it is their input that determines how successful the clinics are. "It's not up for us as professionals to decide how to run a program," she said. "We have to make sure the program is going to work for the people using it. 25th Annual Clinton Kinsmen & Kinette EASTER EGG HUNT Saturday April 19th (Weather permitting) STARTING AT 10 a.m. at the Kin Park Prizes for Everyone! BAKE SALE! kwit @ClintonKinsmen "We've had great feedback from users in the county. They are equal partners." The effect of the program is reducing drug-related harm to people using IV drugs, provide safe disposal of used needles and offering a point of contact for health services for a demo- graphic that is reluctant to approach the health system. While there are more clinics to be rolled out this year, the logistics, dates and times still need to be worked out. A list of current clinics is offered on the health unit web site. Spence said that while some residents may be concerned about a needle exchange pro- gram being set up in their neigh- bourhoods, the overall goal is harm reduction, adding IV drug users are also members of the community. The health unit also has link on their site for the Ontario harm reduction program. "Sometimes when these pro- grams are established we get people asking questions," she said. "We want to make sure we can help dispel any myths - for all community members." Anyone with questions about the clinic is welcome to call the health unit for more information. 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