Bear Clan on track to recover over 60K discarded needles in 2019

A discarded needle is seen in this file photo. (CTV News Toronto / File Photo)

Melting snow is exposing signs of Winnipeg's meth epidemic.

Several needles have been found in the city’s West End and a community patrol group worries it's only the beginning of what could be a busy year collecting discarded syringes.

Last year, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and its partners distributed 2.1 million needles, which is up significantly from previous years.

Most of the needles get disposed of safely but a small percentage end up on the street, said WRHA clinical nurse specialist Shelley Marshall.

“There’s always going to be some that end up unsafely discarded,” said Marshall. “For us we estimate, based on what’s kind of reported found out there, about one to two per cent of the needles that are distributed end up on the street.

“We would own that some of the ones we distribute end up on the street and we try really hard to prevent that from happening.”

A CTV crew discovered a handful of needles in several different locations surrounding this playground located in a city park on Langside Street.

The needles were cleaned up by a community group, but this is isn't the only place they've been found -- used syringes have been located right across the city.

Bear Clan Patrol executive director James Favel said last year the group recovered 40 thousand needles on Winnipeg streets. He said the Bear Clan is on track to at least double that amount in 2019.

"Typically in the past, March and April would be our biggest months for finding needles because when the snow melts we find what we didn't see over the winter time,” said Favel. "I think we're about 20,000 already this year and it's only March.

“We could do 60 or 80,000 this year and that's a scary statistic there."

Marshall said efforts are being made to collect as many used needles as possible.

She said the Street Connections program which distributes clean needles, also collects up to 3000 used syringes per day.

“Many of our partners in the health system have washrooms with drop boxes so people can come in and drop their needles there or other community agencies have places where people can just come in and drop off their needles,” said Marshall. “Many people will dispose of their needles in safe ways that don’t come back to the program. They’ll put them in puncture proof containers and put them in the municipal trash which is acceptable.

“There’s something going in that situation that makes somebody discard a needle outdoors, it’s really hard to put a finger on. Even most people who are unhoused will dispose of their needles.”