North Vancouver RCMP are issuing a public health alert after someone has been leaving used syringes at an Upper Lonsdale bus stop.
District of North Vancouver municipal workers first noticed the potential biohazards while cleaning up the garbage bins at Queens Road just west of Lonsdale Avenue about a month ago, according to Cpl. Richard De Jong, North Vancouver RCMP spokesman. The problem has escalated since then.
“They noticed, first, a couple in a bag and then a couple in the garbage, the next week, a few more and all told… there’s up to 40 of them now,” De Jong said. “It’s certainly a concern for public safety and for the city workers themselves, and pets and children —anybody who may come in contact with them.”
The needles, or “sharps,” haven’t had chemical or DNA testing to determine who is using them and for what purpose, De Jong said, but they are a threat regardless.
And disposing of them in a garbage can is against municipal bylaws. Under the bylaw, a person can be fined up to $500 per instance.
“But we’d rather educate people and keep them off the street than have to ticket people,” De Jong said.
If you are accidentally stuck by a used needle, wash the exposed skin immediately with warm, soapy water or antiseptic and seek medical help.
