VIDEO: Hotlines for dirty needle collections to be established

Hotlines are being set up in Cork City to contact specially trained personnel who will safely dispose of the increasing number of dirty needles being discarded on the streets by heroin addicts.

The initiative is being coordinated by the HSE’s Drug & Alcohol Task Force, which is also planning to distribute “drug litter information leaflets” to schools, businesses, and community organisations.

It is estimated that there are up to 500 heroin addicts in Cork City and county. More than 100 of them are not getting treatment and are not involved in needle-exchange programmes.

These are the addicts who are regularly dropping used needles in the city streets, it is believed.

David Lane, the area operations manager of the HSE Drug & Alcohol Services, said a new outreach worker had recently been appointed to work with street addicts and he was also disposing of discarded needles.

Mr Lane said his organisation was also exploring methods of encouraging heroin addicts not to inject in public by bringing them into “medically supervised centres”.

He said similar centres had been opened in other countries. He pointed to one example in Sydney, Australia, which he said was proving very successful as it cut down considerably on overdosing and the spread of infections such as HIV and hepatitis B and C.

Special needle disposal boxes have been built into the walls of the public toilets at Grand Parade, Cork City, which is a known haunt for heroin users.

Mr Lane said it was proving successful because they were collecting hundreds of needles from these boxes every month.

He said they were looking to expand this service to other public areas used by heroin injectors and were also talking to some city centre businesses whose toilets are frequented by addicts.

Mr Lane said distributing leaflets on drug litter was important to educate the public about discarded needles.

While the chances of catching HIV or hepatitis from a dirty needle are low, it could still happen, especially if the needle pierces the skin.

“If that happens the person should immediately seek medical assistance,” Mr Lane said.

“But we don’t want people to pick them up, we want them to report their location to any of the three hotlines. It’s important they make that phone call,” he added.

• The contact numbers are: Freephone 1800 22 22 26 (9am-5pm); 021 4966512 (out of hours);
• The new outreach worker, who will work with street addicts is available at 086 0255410.