A Western Australian mother is calling for urgent action after finding nearly 60 discarded syringes in the streets of Broome, including in children’s playgrounds.
A state government program hands out clean syringe packs, called Fitpacks, to drug users at hospitals, in a bid to lower infection rates from addicts reusing dirty needles.
Mother-of-two Natalie Kennedy, has found 59 needles on Broome Streets, including at a playground opposite her house.
She’s become so concerned at the sheer volume of needles she’s found that she now carries around a bucket to clean up the streets when she goes for walks with her kids.
“I understand we don’t want them sharing needles but … they’re putting the safety of the user over and above the rest of the community,” Kennedy said.
“It is getting so bad, every day we find one.”
“We need the support services up here, we need intervention … it goes beyond just handing out some needles at the hospital.”
Just last week, a student from Roebuck Primary was pricked by a needle found in the school playground.
The mother says the government needs to rethink the plan.
9News staff in Perth walked through a short alleyway between a Broome Cemetery and a school, finding at least five syringes and dozens of discarded sharps covers, that are provided in the Fitpacks.
The Broome Shire Council is also calling on WA Health to make changes to the program, suggesting retractable needles instead.
However, the Department of Health says retractable needles are not suitable for injectable drug users as they could potentially increase virus transmission.
“We obviously continue to do everything we can to ensure that we get dirty needles off the streets,” Premier Roger Cook said.
“That includes our needle exchange program, and I’ll be advised by the department in relation to what other changes we need to make.”
