From: Ian blenkharn@ianblenkharn.com
Category: Miscellaneous
Date: 16 Nov 2009
Time: 11:10:18 +0100
Remote Name: 86.133.193.47
A SPECIAL bin designed for drug users to deposit their needles and syringes has been placed in Peterborough - but council officials refuse to say where.
After more than two years of planning the Safe Sharps Disposal project, the city's Safer Peterborough Partnership has positioned the £1,330 bin, which is 45cms wide and 84cms high, in a secret location. And a further seven bins, which are designed to encourage people to dispose of injecting equipment and other sharp objects safely, reducing the risk of injury and transmission of blood borne viruses, will be placed in other "hotspots", which have been identified using up-to-date data of drug related litter, by November 26.
However, speaking at a Scrutiny Commission for Health Issues meeting at the town hall on Tuesday, Peterborough City Council neighbourhood manager, Leonie McCarthy, who is spearheading the scheme, said they would not be releasing the locations of the bins for fear local residents would target drug users or the neighbourhoods would be labelled "drug hotspots".
I guess that bins would be provided only where needed, and thus these hotspots would already be well known. However, all praise to Peterborough for dealing with a problem and providing these bins - I hope those who have use for them are aware of their locations even if others are to be kept in the dark.
http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/Secret-Peterborough-location-of-sharps.5823297.jp
And one other point.....Two years to plan this, and installation at £1,330 per bin?? Astonishing!