Snow melt reveals discarded needles in Vernon area

As the snow melts in the North Okanagan, online forums in Vernon are buzzing with complaints about discarded needles.

City hall is coordinating a cleanup in response to the social media attention.

Residents have been taking to Facebook groups Vernon & Area Community Forum and Vernon Rant and Rave to complainabout needles found in the community this season.

"What I'm looking for here is solutions to the needle disposal problem in Polson and other parks. I'm looking for ways to keep my children and other people safe," wrote Ashley Pritchard, who said her son almost got pricked by a needle while playing in Polson Park.

"He started to grab at the leaves and toss them out and a flash of orange caught my eye and I grabbed his arm to stop."

City of Vernon officialssay they see this every year.

"We often see a lot of debris whether it happens to be garbage or cigarette butts, it could also be drug paraphernalia," said RachaelZubick with the community safety office which will coordinate one ofthe cleanups.

"It's pretty much standard, it's just in terms of what we're seeing on social media it seems to be a lot bigger."

The Okanagan Community Watch group will be doing a clean-up of the area on Mar 24, according to their Facebook page,and Zubicksaid the community safety office is also planning an event for Apr 6.

Zubickofferedsome safety tipsfor anyone disposingused needles:

• Protect your hands with gloves or use tongs.
• Hold the needle away from you.
• Use a puncture-proof container that seals, like a water bottle, and place the needle inside with the sharp pointed toward the bottom of the container.
• In Vernon, bring the safely contained needles to the Community Policing Office, North Okanagan Youth and Family Services Society officeor any health unit for properdisposal.

With files from Daybreak South