Durban - An NGO working with drug addicts has been identified as the main source of the multiple used needles and drug contaminated syringes which recently washed up on the city’s beaches.
Last month the city launched an investigation into the incident and yesterday deputy mayor Fawzia Peer told the city’s executive committee (Exco) that the investigation had established that the syringes originated from an NGO called TB HIV Care which distributes them to drug users.
The Mercury has established that the NGO’s programme which deals with drug users is operated from its offices in Umbilo.
Peer told the committee that the city’s legal department would be engaged to check on the legality of the distribution of these syringes.
“When an investigation was done we found that some of the syringes have drugs in them,” said Peer who added that some bags full of syringes had also been found on the beachfront.
She said it appeared that the syringes were given "willy nilly" to vagrants and drug users but there no proper controls were in place.
“The committee found that this is not controlled well. When a youngster uses a syringe they just throw them anywhere,” she said.
Peer added that the city had also established that the NGO has a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with both the provincial and national health departments. The city will be meeting with officials to try to get more understanding of the MoU, she said.
Medical waste, nurdles wash up on Durban beaches
Contacted on Monday, the organisation said the aim of supplying syringes was to reduce and prevent HIV infections and other blood borne infections.
TB HIV Care spokesperson Alison Best said as soon as the organisation was alerted to the syringes being found on the beach in January it responded by dispatching a team which worked with eThekwini municipality to clean up.
Best said the organisation encourages users to to dispose of their used needles and syringes in a “safe manner”
Best said studies show that limiting the distribution of needles and syringes in fact increases the risk that they will be disposed of inappropriately.
“Other factors which lead to the unsafe disposal of needles and syringes are: lack of appropriate needles disposal points, lack of safe injecting spaces, increased arrests of people who inject drugs and laws that criminalise the possession of used or unused injecting equipment,” Best said.
Graham du Randt, the director of Compass Waste Medical Services, said medical waste contributes to environmental pollution and there is a risk that it might spread infection to those who come in contact with it.
He said a person accidentally pricked by a used needle would have to immediately seek medical attention.
Environmental activist Bobby Peek said the city and the department of health should work with the NGO to show it methods of managing the waste.