Nearly Twenty-five Pounds of Syringes Collected at Two Needle Kiosks in Eureka

Needle Kiosk Needle disposal

Needle kiosk at the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services. [Photo from the Humboldt Co. DHHS]

Information from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Facebook page: 

Since their installation last month, thousands of syringes have been disposed of in the kiosks at two DHHS locations. During the first pickup last week, the disposal vendor said nearly 25 pounds of syringes were collected. “This is very encouraging,” said Public Health Director Michele Stephens. The kiosks are located at Public Health, 529 I St., and Social Services, 929 Koster St., in Eureka. Small sharps containers are available at each location’s front desk during normal business hours.

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38 Comments
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Bc
Guest
Bc
6 years ago

This is encouraging? 25 pounds of needles? Tells me we have an way to many junkies on our streets… Crime? Wtf……

Helllbilly
Guest
Helllbilly
6 years ago
Reply to  Bc

Agreed

Betrayed trust
Guest
Betrayed trust
6 years ago

Probably filled up by the enabling group that’s been giving needles away like candy. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re the ones loading up the containers to make it seem like their misguided program is actually working.

The needle disposal should happen at the exchange site. For every used needle some-one brings in for disposal you give out one new needle. Anything less is irresponsible and puts the public at risk.

The kiosk system is a joke. To expect addicts to be responsible enough to be concerned about public safety is pipe dream. The only way to make them responsible for their behavior is to tie it to their addiction.

hmm
Guest
hmm
6 years ago
Reply to  Betrayed trust

I agree. We need to know where the needle came from. If good samaritans are using these kiosks to dispose of needle that they have collected, that is great but it does not mean that the kiosks are mitigating the effects of a needle handout vs a needle exchange.

Requiring exchange may increase the rate of disease among users, but not requiring exchange may vastly increase the chance of the public coming into contact with infected needles.

I think an exchange AND the presence of kiosks are the most sensible choice.

Covelo or busted
Guest
Covelo or busted
6 years ago

Nice place to get out of the rain while i do my insulin… thanks. Same time…Great place to cop some crank….

pth
Guest
pth
6 years ago

What’s very discouraginging, are the comments above.

Veteran's Friend
Guest
Veteran's Friend
6 years ago

What a shame that the people commenting before me have so little understanding of this issue.
Thank you to the people who are doing this.
ONLY PROHIBITION MAKES CRIMINALS OUT OF SICK PEOPLE.

Johnny Reb
Guest
Johnny Reb
6 years ago

Encouraging to drug users. Enables them. Lib love crime. Unless it happens to them.

Wow
Guest
Wow
6 years ago

Sick….. suppose its not their fault either… poor junkies!

Emily
Guest
Emily
6 years ago

What’s your answer to all the drug related burglaries and car break ins? I’ve had my house in Arcata burglarized 4 times over the last couple years. I have a teenage daughter. I don’t have a problem with druggies per se but the crime involved with their habits are negatively affecting the communities. I’m not necessarily against some of these programs but I’m inclined to not like things that are going to help people who are fucking up our community

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago

What about the people willing to follow the law in the first place who avoid becoming addicted? It is not all about those who do. In fact that emphasis seems to be evidence of the total self involvement of those who make the choice to try drugs they have been warned repeatedly are addicting.

George Straw
Guest
George Straw
6 years ago

The 25 pounds of needles weren’t turned in by junkies but by other people cleaning up after them.
Dishonest people will use this to claim the problem is solved. It isn’t.

local observer
Guest
local observer
6 years ago
Reply to  George Straw

who said they were. I would say good people with civic responsibility are doing it now that there is a place to properly and easily dispose them. i’m sure the camera on the building will support that statement. with new junkies in their 20s joining the ranks, this problem is going to be here for a while. if you ask me the dishonest people are the parents that raised this problem.

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  local observer

And who raised the parents you seek to blame? Are you going to move back down the generations seeking to blame everyone? Maybe the key is to stop wasting time on blame and note that so much of the control is individual from the start.

Some guy
Guest
Some guy
6 years ago

I’d be surprised if a single drug user dropped a syringe into one of those containers.

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Some guy

I’ve been meaning to drop off my two year supply of used sharps from my animal vaccinations and such.

Mogtx
Guest
6 years ago

If chief Watson and Sheriff hansell would do their job and crack down on the Junkies and Major League dealers we wouldn’t have 25 lb of needles do the math. It is simply ludicrous.

THC
Guest
THC
6 years ago
Reply to  Mogtx

This state has passed too many laws to protect junkies and criminals, the cops hands are tied in many cases politically.

fuckwalterwhite.com
Guest
fuckwalterwhite.com
6 years ago

“This is very encouraging,” said Public Health Director Michele Stephens.

Yes, you are encouraging the junkies…

Carol
Guest
Carol
6 years ago

This is a positive step in the right direction. Good work.

Veteran's Friend
Guest
Veteran's Friend
6 years ago
Reply to  Carol

Thank you

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Carol

Nothing wrong with making it available. But the idea of an addict who can’t manage to hoyse themselves making the effort to use them just to help the community is a strain. Not to mention risking being seen. I suspect it’s just a convenient location for insulin users.

stop the madness
Guest
stop the madness
6 years ago

Oh boy. I think we have this mass druggie and needle problem licked now. Not! 25 pounds of needles is a heck of a lot of needles. Associate 25 pounds to the use going on around here. Absolutely staggering.

K
Guest
K
6 years ago

I get a prescription injection every month and am hardly the only person who does. I appreciate having a disposal center that’s so readily available. Thank you!

uncle Dave
Guest
uncle Dave
6 years ago

Look at S.F. The whole city is ruined by people living in the streets shitting on the sidewalks 30K car break ins in one year. This is what happens when you become enablers for people, make excuses, give them free shit, don’t arrest them when they break the law. They take over and that’s what’s going on here.

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  uncle Dave

Always someone else’s fault, isn’t it…

Owl
Guest
Owl
6 years ago

without a good place to dispose of needles some people keep them until there is. When our aged parents died there were at least ten pounds of used needles from daily insulin injections, kept here and there, hurting no one.
We took them to the county health and they took them.

People finding out this facility is available may be getting collections like that, all legal and innocent.

If the amounts drop off after a few months that may be why.

Emily
Guest
Emily
6 years ago

Yes I have a feeling (I’m sure it’s not 100% true).. but I’d bet that the people who support these programs are living in the hills in a nice safe place, not in the neighborhoods that are being affected by the drugs. It’s not the druggies themselves I have a problem with, I think people should be able to do what they want with their bodies. The problem to me is the crime associated with it… the thievery and the burglaries… it’s really a problem around here.

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Emily

Ha. Is the state supposed to supply endless amounts of life threatening drugs, not mention housing, feeding, automobiles, etc, to keep drug addicts from doing bad things? That is extortion. Not to mention that there is never “enough” for people who don’t work for it.

Bushman
Guest
Bushman
6 years ago

Yeah your the tenderlion of humboldt.well you are and garberville are ..good job.you should build bathrooms for them and mabey more free meals…I wonder if Ferndale has those …the one place I can let the kids run around….gross..please somebody help us…

Me_too
Guest
Me_too
6 years ago

I’ve seen them on the playground when I take my kids to the park. I guess this is better than nothing.

hmm
Guest
hmm
6 years ago
Reply to  Me_too

This better than nothing but nothing is not the only other option.

Mogtx
Guest
6 years ago

My close friend is being robbed every night in Fortuna she put out acaught them on her game camera she’s reported to the police and they are not doing a damn thing to help her Fortuna cops she just brought her car dolly out to my place ,so they the junky thrives in Fortuna wont steal it. she is bringing out her 4 wheeler to 2marrow so they don’t steal it they punched the ignition out trying to steal it ,and the pos Fortuna police won’t serve or protect a tax paying home owner wtf oh but if you’re talking on your cell phone they pull you over look at you like shot their mother nice job Fortuna Chief of Police

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago

Yeah. We must put a stop to all those fat people stealing bicycles immediately. The potato chip and ice cream thefts must stop.

And the horror of all those fat people murders. The awful mug shots are repulsive. The news is full of them.

PollyP
Guest
PollyP
6 years ago

25 pounds of plastic out of the environment is 25 pounds of plastic out of the environment … who cares who picked them up, they’re picked up.

That’s 25 lbs of needles that won’t end up in the waterways, the bay and the ocean.

Good work for putting those sharps boxes out. Thanks. Now can everyone pick up all their other junk and “leave no trace.”

Shitty
Guest
Shitty
6 years ago

Let’s just give all the junkies a free ride they do so much for society .Let me give a few examples they steal spread diseases commit crime get their kids taken away so another family can raise them do I need to say anymore, sick and tired of those pos, put them on an island and let them eat each other😡😠

Mogtx
Guest
6 years ago

Awesome comment shitty ,so true .my dear sweet friend that is being robbed daily needs the scum pos that are robbing her needs to be sent to that island . Cuz Fortuna’s finest are doing nothing good job Chief Engelbert Humperdinck.

fuckwalterwhite.com
Guest
fuckwalterwhite.com
6 years ago

How much does HazMat cost to dispose per pound?