Hamilton Reef
05-05-2006, 08:05 PM
DEQ wants beachgoers to not get the point
http://www.mlive.com/columns/bctimes/jeff_kart/index.ssf?/base/news-0/114676650929790.xml&coll=4
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Syringes on the beach. It's springtime in Michigan.
The state Department of Environmental Quality is advising people to watch out for used syringes in the water and on shore when visiting beaches this spring.
Syringes have the potential to harbor bacteria and viruses that can spread infectious diseases like hepatitis or HIV.
DEQ spokesman Bob McCann said shoreline needles aren't a big problem, but they're a recurring one.
The needles come from drug users and illegal dumping by doctor or veterinarian offices, clinics and tattoo parlors.
If you're unlucky enough to find a used syringe, pick it up with protective gloves and put it in a heavy plastic container like a detergent bottle. There aren't any sharps collection programs in the tri-county area, so people should call their local hospital, pharmacy or health department for help, local DEQ officials say. Sanitation workers can get stuck by needles disposed of in regular household trash.
If you find multiple syringes, you should contact your local law enforcement agency, local health department or the DEQ's Medical Waste Regulatory Program at (517) 241-1320 or (517) 335-1146.
http://www.mlive.com/columns/bctimes/jeff_kart/index.ssf?/base/news-0/114676650929790.xml&coll=4
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Syringes on the beach. It's springtime in Michigan.
The state Department of Environmental Quality is advising people to watch out for used syringes in the water and on shore when visiting beaches this spring.
Syringes have the potential to harbor bacteria and viruses that can spread infectious diseases like hepatitis or HIV.
DEQ spokesman Bob McCann said shoreline needles aren't a big problem, but they're a recurring one.
The needles come from drug users and illegal dumping by doctor or veterinarian offices, clinics and tattoo parlors.
If you're unlucky enough to find a used syringe, pick it up with protective gloves and put it in a heavy plastic container like a detergent bottle. There aren't any sharps collection programs in the tri-county area, so people should call their local hospital, pharmacy or health department for help, local DEQ officials say. Sanitation workers can get stuck by needles disposed of in regular household trash.
If you find multiple syringes, you should contact your local law enforcement agency, local health department or the DEQ's Medical Waste Regulatory Program at (517) 241-1320 or (517) 335-1146.