Small Ohio Town Overwhelmed By Needles
The drug problem in Portsmouth Ohio is no secret. It’s been so bad at times, someone actually wrote a book about it. Ask residents about the problem of used needles littering public places and they’ll probably give you an earful about their experiences with the dangerous drug paraphernalia.
In fact, the problem is so overwhelming the Portsmouth Police Department has asked residents not to call them to collect used needles. Why? They’ve run out of places to put them.
Portsmouth Police Chief Debby Brewer explained, “There’s just an overabundance of the needles and there’s no for us to take them anymore. The hospital was taking them for us, but they had to stop because they have to pay for that and we were taking so many.”
Brewer said the agency had an agreement with the Health Department to exchange out a huge sharps container for an empty one on a monthly basis to dispose of the needles officers come across in the line of duty.
What does the chief suggest citizens do if they come across a needle? “We need to advise people that if they find them put them in plastic bottles like water bottles, juice bottles…. any type of plastic bottle that you can put the lid back on and seal. Once you do that, just toss it in the garbage.”
Chief Brewer advised residents to wear gloves, if available, to protect themselves against any possible drug residue. “Please don’t just drop them down in a trash can, put them in something. That way whoever is collecting the trash from the receptacle won’t get stuck. They’ll poke through plastic trash bags but not through plastic bottles.”
The chief also reminded residents that they can drop off expired prescription drugs at the police station dropbox. “It’s down here by police records, just come down the stairs and down the hall, you can’t miss it,” Brewer said you can also drop off drugs belonging to deceased loved ones to prevent their medications from falling into the wrong hands.