Sharps Sector News
-
Hundreds of discarded needles cleared from Nottinghamshire beauty spot
Hundreds of needles have been found at a beauty spot on the outskirts of Nottingham. Additionally, spoons, wipes and other items of drugs paraphernalia were cleared by local volunteers in the Wilford area. The team cleared dozens of needles, plus several bags of rubbish.
Read more...
-
Two dead and three in intensive care as lockdown sends people to 'dark web' for prescription drugs
It has been reported that two people have died and three have needed intensive care treatment after a sudden rise in drug overdoses in part of Wales. This is believed to be linked with sales of fake prescription drugs being sold through the "dark web".
Read more...
-
'Staggering increase' in the number of deaths of homeless people
It has been reported that nationally some 976 people died whilst homeless in the UK during 2020. This is a rise of 37% from the previous year. However, coronavirus accounted for just 3% of these, whilst 36% are attributed to substance misuse, and 15% attributed to suicide.
Read more...
-
Drugs charity pinpoints used sharps locations in Torquay and Bristol
Drugs charity Transform (with a base in Bristol) has recently produced and published maps detailing locations where needles have been found in and around the city – 1100 in just 18 months
Read more...
-
More than 100 sharps found in Newport in one day
Nearly 150 needles / sharps were found and collected from two parts of Newport during a volunteer litter pick on Saturday 11th January 2020.
Read more...
-
Discarded sharps reaching critical levels in Glasgow
A report from BBC Scotland recently suggests that the number of discarded sharps/needles being found in Glasgow is at its highest levels in a decade.
Read more...
-
Reduction in the number of dirty needles reported in Dundee, Scotland
The local newspaper for Dundee and surrounding areas, The Courier, printed an article recently pointing out the positive effects of the work carried out by their drug-related litter group to deal with the issues surrounding inappropriate disposal of drug waste around the city.
Read more...
-
Children Tested For HIV and Hepatitis After Needle Jab Incident. 7th March 2018.
A group of children in Ayrshire have been tested for HIV and hepatitis after an incident involving a discarded needle. The primary school-age youngsters are believed to have discovered the used syringe in a skip near the Redburn Community Centre in Irvine.
Read more...
-
Shocking Pictures of Drug Abuse in Public Toilets. 6th January 2018.
Shocking pictures of the condition drug addicts have left public toilets in have been released by South Hams District Council. The district council closed the toilets in Coronation Road, Market Square and Steamer Quay in Totnes before Christmas on the grounds of public safety. The council has now released the pictures and issued a statement detailing the potential health risks to the public from diseases such as hepatitis and HIV.
Read more...
-
Discarded Needles Found in Batches Around Atherstone, Warks. 22nd December 2017.
NORTH Warwickshire Borough Council and Warwickshire Police are requesting help from members of the public to help provide information about who is responsible for discarding batches of needles in the Atherstone area. Several incidents of discarded needles have been reported to the Council during December.
Read more...
-
Fears Over Loss of Drug Addicts' Glasgow Needle Exchange as HIV Outbreak Spreads. 21st December 2017.
Use of needle exchanges by drug addicts has plummeted since one of Scotland's busiest units closed, amid concerns the move is contributing to the growth of an HIV outbreak.
Read more...
-
Anger as mum finds dirty needles and syringes outside two Wishaw primary schools. 14th December 2017.
A young mum who was walking with her two children was horrified to stumble across a pair of discarded dirty needles and syringes just a stone’s throw from two Wishaw primary schools.
Read more...
-
More Than 1,000 Discarded Needles Found in Wolverhampton, But The Number is Falling. 21st November 2017.
More than 1,400 syringes and other items of drugs paraphernalia were discarded in the city's streets during the past 12 months. That compared with more than 3,500 found between 2015 and 2016.
Read more...
-
Clean-Up Begins at Syringe-Strewn Eyesore in Sheffield City Centre. 22nd September 2017.
Discarded drug needles are among mountains of waste being cleared from a roundabout in Sheffield city centre after the squalid conditions were highlighted by The Star.
Read more...
-
Boy Stabbed Toe on Discarded Needle While Playing in Loughborough Park. 3rd August 2017.
A nine-year-old boy was taken to hospital after he jabbed his toe on a discarded hypodermic needle while playing in a public park.
Read more...
-
Shock As 200 Drug Needles Found in Park Clear-Up. 4th July 2017.
MORE than 200 discarded needles were cleared from Faringdon Road Park in one day, raising alarm over the drug activity taking place there. The concern comes shortly before Swindon’s oldest summer event, The Children’s Fete, is due to be held at the park this Saturday.
Read more...
-
Video: 'Drugs fix room is like my second home'. 9th January 2017.
Several countries across Europe supply fix rooms, where drug users can take substances under supervision. There are six such facilities in Denmark.
Read more...
-
The Worst Lecture Competition
A Canadian University demonstrates the importance of presentation skills by showing the students how NOT to do it!
Read more...
-
Used needles dumped near children's playground - Barry and District News, March 2016
Another example of the sorts of locations where discarded needles are increasingly being found.
Read more...
-
Growing Doubts about HIV Vaccine
"Doubts have been raised about the reliability of a trial suggesting success for a vaccine against HIV. In the large-scale trial in Thailand, a combination of vaccines seemed to give voluntees a protective effect of 31%.... But new data, being published a conference in Paris is believed to question that assertion". BBC News Website - October 2009
Read more...