Chatham has a new outdoor after hours needle disposal drop box.
The local health unit believes the new drop box will help prevent the spread of blood-borne infections, such as HIV and Hepatitis C.
Chatham's old outdoor after-hours needle disposal. Oct. 24, 2017. (Photo courtesy of AIDS Support CK)
The health unit says there were 50 confirmed cases of Hepatitis C in Chatham-Kent last year, which is nearly double the provincial rate and cases peaked at 70 in 2015. Steve Pratt, Harm Reduction Program Manager with AIDS Support Chatham-Kent, says local Hepatitis C cases have been higher than the rest of Ontario for the past eight years.
"It is brand new to Chatham-Kent and it's one of the tools that we have to help address the climbing Hepatitis C rates that we're are seeing in our community. Most of those new Hep C infections have been attributed to injection drug use," says Pratt.
The pilot program started on Tuesday and is a partnership between the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit and AIDS Support Chatham-Kent. The sharp disposal kiosk is located at 67 Adelaide St. South and is built to ensure that all deposited needles can't be retrieved.
Pratt says the new needle drop off will increase access to a safe disposal option.
"Hours of operation can be a little bit of an issue. Pharmacies, our building and public health are only open so many hours. So, this gives people 24/7 access to a place where they can go safely dispose their sharps at any time that's convenient for them," Pratt says.
He says the program works well in other cities and is confident that it will eventually be expanded across Chatham-Kent.
"Making sure that we have a place where people can properly dispose their sharps and they're not going to end up on the streets and in parks. This is a pilot that we have here right now and if we get good traction on it, hopefully we'll see this program expand throughout the municipality to other communities as well," says Pratt.