By Shereen Siewert
WAUSAU — Finding a used syringe in a park playground is not something parents expect when they take their children out to play, but that type of report is becoming increasingly common for police.
That’s because when the snow melts, more syringes discarded during the winter months are typically found. The Wausau Police Department is seeing an uptick in reports of abandoned syringes lying on the street, sidewalks and in parks, prompting a warning about the dangers of such discoveries.
Improperly discarded needles, sometimes dropped by injection drug users, can present a health risk to unsuspecting bystanders. The needles can carry harmful blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis B or C or HIV.
The risk of handling or coming into contact with sharps is an accidental needle stick, which could result in blood to blood contact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The chance of contracting Hep. B can range between 6 and 30 percent, CDC officials say. For other diseases, the risk is lower, but remains. The chance of contracting HIV if stuck is less than 1 percent and for Hep. C, it’s 1.8 percent.
In a Facebook post, officials are urging residents to use caution.
“Please talk to your children so they understand the dangers of these and tell them NOT to pick them up,” the post reads.
Residents who discover discarded syringes should call the non-emergency police number at 715-261-1200 and leave details on the location so an officer can safely collect and dispose of the needles.
