A group operating with support from the city picked up 12,889 used needles off the streets in Greater Sudbury during its first month of operation.
The Sudbury Action Centre for Youth (SACY) began collecting the hazardous waste in November 2017, supported by $72,600 in municipal funding. The number of needles collected dropped to 3,493 in December, and 718 in January of this year, but the group said snow covering the ground is likely hiding a lot of the needles, which will resurface this spring.
A report headed to the community services committee Monday says the Sudbury Downtown Business Improvement Association has agreed verbally to contribute $2,000 to help offset the cost of the needle collection. The report also says SACY has also been doing more than just picking up needles.
“SACY has been doing further outreach in the community, providing presentations to community organizations regarding safe disposal methods,” the report says. “In the month of January, SACY provided four of these presentations in the community and will continue to do so upon request.
“They are also working on an information campaign regarding the safe disposal of syringes to divert them from unsafe disposal practices in areas where they are finding them in garbage and blue boxes.”
The issue of used needles isn't unique to Sudbury, but the report says we have a significant problem. In February, the Sudbury and District Health Unit said it had given out 1,210,563 clean needles to users in 2017, and took back 761,812 used needless, a 63 per cent return rate. That compares to 791,000 needles given out in 2015 and nearly 850,000 in 2016.
While the numbers are large, medical officer of health Penny Sutcliffe said in February that on a per capita basis, Sudbury sits around the provincial average in terms of the number of needles being doled out and returned.
"We are seeing not a small increase but a big increase in the numbers of needles that we are handing out -- 'we' meaning the system, not just Sudbury, but across the entire province," Sutcliffe said last month.
In 2017, the health unit's harm reduction program had 17,779 client visits, averaging out to roughly 68 needles per client per visit. The visits are not counted as unique client contacts, as a number of them are repeat visitors to the program.
