The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit is continuing a used needle buy-back program because of the program’s initial success.
During November the health unit offered to drug users a $5 gift card for every 100 used needles they returned to the agency.
The response was huge with 17,300 used needles ending back in health unit hands.
The health unit will continue the buy-back program throughout December with $5 grocery certificates for every 100 used needles or syringes that are returned.
The health agency launched the program to lower the number of needles users discard like throwing them on the ground which creates health risks.
With that in mind, the health unit doesn’t want the general public to go looking for discarded needles in an effort to get gift certificates because it says this is a dangerous practice.
Drug users can spread HIV, hepatitis and other blood-borne infections with their used needles and for this reason, the health unit doesn’t want the public to actively look for them.