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This couple was so concerned about used needles they started a free service to supply safe containers

Adam Rennie and Stephanie Sackaney say they just want to help make their neighbourhood safer, and yours too

Adam Rennie and Stephanie Sackaney were walking along the Junction Creek trails two months ago when they first spotted a carpet of used needles littering the ground. 

As time passed, the couple noticed more and more discarded syringes, along the path and beside the entrance to the tunnel connecting Riverside Drive and Elgin Street. 

Concerned by the health implications, Rennie decided to do something about it himself, purchasing a couple of sharps containers and placing them in visible locations along the trail where he found the highest concentrations of needles.

“We are not judging anyone using the needles," Rennie told Sudbury.com. "We just want to be able to walk our dogs and let our children play without being at any risk."

Last year, Sudbury & District Health Unit announced it would be expanding its needle disposal program by installing four new needle disposal bins at spots where users tend to congregate.  

For Rennie and his wife, it is a matter of doing their part to improve community safety and to raise awareness. 

“I have counted maybe 85 needles lying on the ground, and maybe two in the needle box ... I just wish people threw the needles in the box” Rennie said.

The couple have even started an email service [email protected]. Anyone can email them and let them know of the public areas where littering is becoming a nuisance and they will provide sharps disposable boxes without any charge. 

In addition, some pharmacies are part of the “Take It Back” Ontario Sharps Collection program and can provide you with a sharps container free of charge. Click here for a list of local participating pharmacies. 

 


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Gia Patil

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