Northern Rivers News

USED SYRINGE PROMPTS SAFETY WARNING

It was here in Kirkland car park on Monday morning that a Lismore man stood on a used syringe; sustaining what’s health experts call a ‘community acquired needle stick injury’.

It’ll now be a long six month wait until he finds out if he’s contracted diseases including HIV or hepatitis – although a North Coast Medical Director says the incident was considered low risk.

“Essentially the transmission of that from a needle which is usually quite old, or certainly old enough for the viruses to die off.”

Lismore Mayor, Jenny Dowell says it’s not a stand-alone instance.

She urging those with legitimate reasons to inject in public, to discard of their needles safely.

“In most public toilets, in fact in toilets in most shopping centres even there are appropriate places, there are syringe disposal units. So there are plenty of locations, there’s no excuse!”

“In a bid to reduce blood-borne viral infections among injecting drug users, the Northern NSW health district operates a needle and syringe exchange program here on Hunter Street in Lismore. It’s open from 9.30am to 12 most weekdays.”

If you find a syringe, you can report it to Council.

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