Aberdeen company pitching needle-pickup patrols across Saskatchewan

It’s a problem that can be found in alleys and, occasionally, playgrounds and places where children frequent — syringes that have been improperly disposed.

As a solution, a company from Aberdeen is proposing to create full-time needle patrols in nine major urban areas in Saskatchewan and part-time patrols in every small community in the province.

Biomed is also proposing a 1-800 number and textline for people to report all kinds of biohazardous waste.

“(Crews) would be walking around the hotspot areas, talking to businesses, community members, those at risk, giving community outreach and education as well as picking up and reporting any biohazards. So it wouldn’t be just needles. It would be anything biohazardous — condoms, drug rigs, spoons, all of it,” said Chris Carlson, a sales associate from Biomed.

There’s no one-stop shop for needle collection, he said, with the fire department doing it in Saskatoon and community-based organizations like Street Project and Access Place in Regina and Prince Albert. In Yorkton, people are supposed to call 9-1-1, he added.

In Carlson’s view, those resources could be used more effectively.

“Saskatchewan’s firefighters, paramedics and public health workers are some of the most highly skilled individuals we employ in this province and, though needles are scary and a biohazard, it’s essentially litter,” he said.

According to an email from a Saskatchewan Healthy Authority spokesperson, disposal of such supplies is managed through contracts that meet the needs of the community.

The SHA offers harm reduction services in 25 locations, including the distribution of injection and inhalation supplies, overdose prevention and wraparound services. This is done to reduce the spread of blood-borne infections like HIV and hepatitis C.

Biomed’s proposal was not solicited by the province, and the SHA’s Lisa Thomson wrote authority officials “have not identified a need for enhanced services on a provincial level.”

If such a need were to arise in the future, the province would put the project out to tender, Thomson wrote.