1,000 syringes found on streets of Dublin in 2007

ABOUT 1,000 syringes were found on the streets of Dublin city last year, prompting concerns at the dangers dirty needles pose to the public.

The news comes amid proposals to expand needle exchange facilities in Dublin and elsewhere.

It emerged yesterday that an action under the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008 regarding safe disposal and collection of used syringes have not been implemented by local and health authorities.

A spokeswoman for Dublin City Council said 1,000 syringes were found on the streets during clean-up operations in 2007, not including syringes found in parks.

Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI), which runs the city’s only full-time needle exchange service, said the finding highlighted the need for needle exchanges and safer disposal facilities.

“I’d say for most of those syringes, people either didn’t know how to dispose of them or didn’t have access to a secure bin,” said MQI director Tony Geoghegan.

He said he accepted some users were “mindless or thoughtless” but the main issue was access to needle exchanges.

“We are the only ones open five days a week, the rest are open two hours here, two hours there.”

He said users are given a sterile syringe when they return their old one, but people are never refused a syringe.

“It is a health promotion initiative, to obviate the spread of HIV and hepatitis, so you never refuse anyone a needle.”

He said the 1,000 figure should be seen in the context of the number of syringes dispensed. He said MQI had around 750 “exchanges” a week, some for more than one syringe, indicating a yearly figure of around 40,000.

He said there was discarded syringes posed a public safety issue and said actions under the National Drugs Strategy for collection and safe disposal had not been implemented.