needle debris pick up
Ensuring that people who use needles can access safe disposal, and that stray needles and needle debris in the community are dealt with promptly and safely is important to Turning Point.
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If you have no way of taking the needle in a strong container to a safe place or if you are not comfortable picking up the needle and need more information, call the City of Red Deer 24 hour response number: 403-342-8238. For outside of Red Deer please contact your municipality or local police non emergency phone number.
If you are in the downtown area you can call or text Turning Point’s Site Liaison at (587) 447-1235 (7 days per week 8 am – 8 pm) or Nightreach will also respond in the evenings call or text (403) 896-3879.
In Red Deer there are three organizations that actively clean up needle and other drug debris. In addition to Turning Point, the Downtown Business Association (DBA) and the City of Red Deer do debris clean up. The DBA’s Clean Team works in the parks in the downtown and the lead City Department on needle debris clean up is Public Works. Each has limits to their capacity but we work collaboratively to ensure that where possible debris is cleaned up in a timely way.
For more information you can contact us or the great folks at CATIE have written Best Practice Recommendations for Canadian Harm Reduction Programs and there is a section on disposal and handling of used drug use equipment that you might find valueable.