A Bradford woman says she found an opioid pill bottle and other drug paraphernalia littered along a residential street.
Melyssah DeVrye made the discovery amongst other trash she found along Drury Street. Her first thought was to pick it up before a child or dog was injured, but she didn’t know what was in it.
“The first thing I did was call the police and let them know what I found,” she says. “I know it will never stop because it's an epidemic and it's getting worse as time goes by.”
In this case, County of Simcoe Paramedic Services arrived on the scene and disposed of the paraphernalia. Police have reported similar incidents in Huntsville and Shelburne.
Much of what's been found in Bradford appears to be part of a harm reduction kit distributed to drug users. The kits are meant to help reduce the spread of bloodborne disease such as hepatitis and HIV.
“It’s a very cost effective and harm reducing solution as you might imagine, and at the same time get those needles and that paraphernalia out of the community and disposed of safely,” says Doug Ironside, a spokesperson with the Simcoe Muskoka Health Unit.
Public health officials say the risk of injury or illness from this kind of drug related litter is low, but it should be handled and disposed of properly.
“Don't touch it with your hands. Use a tool of some kind. Put it in a hard shell container where no one else can touch it.”
Any safely contained paraphernalia can be dropped off at any health unit free of charge, and no questions asked.
Drug users can also exchange used needles for new ones at the health unit.
