Hear this story as reported on Tantramar Report:
Sackville resident, small business owner, and father Dave Carey formed a small group of volunteers called the Sackville Sharps Collectors.
He says that the group came together after Ensemble Moncton opened the new harm reduction vending machine in downtown Sackville, but that they are not attached to Ensemble.
The machine dispenses supplies such as unused needles, pipes, condoms, and snacks free of charge. It also directs the user to any local resources in the area.
Carey says he made the Sharps Collectors group to address concerns and “grievances” that were posted publicly on social media about the machine.
Some of those concerns, he says, are based on misinformation.
“A lot of people voiced concerns that there will be piles of needles in the streets everywhere now that the machine is in place,” says Carey.
He says that many of the concerns were based in ignorance, and that some complainants did not understand what the purpose of the machine was.
“A lot of it was misinformation. But regardless, it didn’t stop people from voicing their opinion.”
The machine has a sharps disposal container right next to it, which is cleaned and emptied regularly by volunteers and Sackville liaison for Ensemble and Carey’s partner, Ashley Legere.
In a previous interview, Legere noted that providing unused drug supplies does not increase usage rates, but it does prevent serious health complications that can arise from unsafe materials.
Back in October, Legere explained that “addiction is going to happen, whether or not we do this sort of thing, right? So the important part of it is to make sure that everyone is being safe and has access to health care.”
“This stops the spread of diseases like HIV and hepatitis C. It’s to help stop infections by using clean needles, things like endocarditis, which is a $50,000 cost to the healthcare system when it has to be treated. It’s very common that that happens when using used needles, and sharing needles. The insulin syringes are designed to only pierce the skin once, that’s it. If you look at them under a microscope, they actually start to barb after one use. So that’s why it’s important to use a new one every time.”
Carey says no one has to make a big commitment when they sign up to volunteer.
“We’re trying to keep it very loose so that people I think at least can try it, and also get a sense of what is actually happening in our town,” explains Carey. “We’re gonna start with a handful of group collections. We’ll announce a time and a place, and if people want to join, they can join.”
The group will head to Beech Hill Park this Saturday to check for used needles or other hazards, and safely dispose of them in sharps containers donated by the Corner Drug Store. Carey also had personal protective equipment and “grabbers” for volunteer collectors.
Anyone is welcome to join them, and the information is on Facebook.
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