Pubdate: Thu, 15 Aug 2013
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2013 The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456
Author: Marc Ellison
Page: GT1

HUNDREDS OF NEEDLES FOUND ACROSS CITY

Data on discarded syringes shows highest incidence in
Scarborough

When the discarded syringe pierced deep into her heel, Danielle Monk
was grateful for one thing - that it wasn't her 2-year-old son, Nolan,
who stepped on the soiled needle in a Toronto park.

In that same split-second, Monk's dream of having found refuge from
the drugs, shootings and crime downtown was shattered.

"My husband and I realized we didn't want to raise our son in
Parkdale," said Monk. "So when we visited Mimico three years ago, and
saw the beauty and tranquility of the neighbourhood, we decided to
move there." She calls Mimico her "Eden on the lake" - at least she
used to.

The 26-year-old mother stepped on the needle on Aug. 6, while playing
with Nolan in Norris Crescent Parkette, behind their small apartment.

"As soon as I stepped on it, I just grabbed the needle, threw it in
the trash and grabbed my son," she said. "I then rushed to the ER
where I ended up waiting for four hours before I could even see
someone." She has avoided the park ever since. "I'm just furious this
has happened somewhere that kids play," Monk said. "There are
generations of the same families that have grown up here who say
they've all seen an increase in drug use in the neighbourhood."

That conclusion is supported by 18 months of data on discarded
syringe-related reports to the city's 311 service line, obtained by
the Star through a freedom of information request.

Some 137 requests were submitted to the 311 help centre between
January 2012 and June 6, 2013, resulting in the recovery of 571
discarded needles from Toronto parks, sidewalks and alleys. The number
may actually be higher, as the Star lowballed the total due to vague
estimations in many of the requests.

The number of needles reported in Ward 6 - which incorporates Mimico -
increased from one last year to five so far this year, not including
the one Monk stepped on. The Etobicoke-Lakeshore ward ranks seventh
for the most needle-related 311 reports of 44 city wards.

The highest numbers were in Scarborough-Agincourt, where 200 needles
were found, and York South-Weston, with 104. But in these cases, the
reports suggest the needles were found in an abandoned container, so
they may be anomalies.

Toronto Centre-Rosedale wards experienced the most reports, resulting
in the recovery of 57 needles.

Residents are encouraged to call 311 to report discarded needles. A
service request is issued to various divisions depending on whether
the needles were found on private or public property.

Readers can explore the data set through our interactive dashboard, or
download the data for offline analysis. James Dann, manager of
waterfront parks, called the discovery in Norris Crescent Parkette
highly unusual.

"There are only needles found in that park once or twice a year," said
Dann.

"We'd expect them more in parks like Allan Gardens and Moss Park that
are closer to halfway houses, shelters and needle exchanges in the
downtown core."

Dann acknowledged parks staff are finding an increasing number of
syringes. But Matt Johnson, who works at a downtown needle exchange,
said the situation is being blown out of proportion. "If one needle
gets found in a park - sure, it's a scary thing - but people will get
incredibly angry and incredibly fearful about what is likely a one-off
thing," he said.

Johnson adds it is not just the middle and upper-class demographic
that get angry about it.

"There were some young people who left syringes in a downtown park,"
he said. "And it was actually a large number of homeless people who
use the park, sleep in the park, let their dogs play there, that
complained about it."

Many in the community are also users, but they expect everyone to
dispose of their needles in a responsible way, Johnson said, adding
drug users often only dump their needles if they think they're about
to be searched by police. Even then, they'll try to put them out of
harm's way.

"I volunteered to do needle sweeps in Parkdale a number of years ago,"
he recalls. "And we'd find that users would try to not put needles in
open areas; we'd find them behind loose bricks and inside poles."

Nonetheless Johnson, a user of hard drugs himself since he was 14,
said the homeless and down-and-out are an easy scapegoat.

Ian de Souza agrees.

The local musician recalls looking out of an upstairs window in his
house near Trinity Bellwoods Park and seeing a black SUV idling
outside with two respectable-looking men inside.

"I could see one of them with surgical rubber around their arm, and
then I saw the needle come out," said de Souza. "Then I saw one of the
guys just toss the needle right at my front gate, and I thought 'man,
there's kids living on this street."

De Souza points out that many Torontonians aren't aware they can call
311 to have discarded needles picked up and disposed of.

Shaun Hopkins, manager of The Works, Toronto Public Health's needle
exchange program, said a combination of education and issuing clean
needles is eradicating the discarded needle problem.

"I've been in this job for over 20 years, and I've found for the most
part if you talk to drug users about the implications of discarding a
needle, they get it, and they try to change their behaviour," she said.

"I don't think they're uncaring people."

More than a million clean needles were issued in 2010 by The Works
program and its 35 partner agencies.

"Even if people aren't returning 100 per cent of the needles they use,
they're still returning a combined million or so needles a year," said
Hopkins. "The most important thing is that needles are being returned,
and we're cutting down on the number out there."

The data obtained by the Star appears to corroborate Hopkins'
assertion.

Last year, a total of 23 discarded needles were recovered in Ward 28
(Toronto Centre-Rosedale) - typically one of the city's worst wards
for discarded needles - but so far only four have been recovered this
year. In Ward 14 (Parkdale-High Park), 21 were recovered last year; so
far five needles have been recovered.

That's still little comfort to Monk.

"I'm actually scared now to let my son play in the grass or stand in
the wood chips," she said.

Monk believes Mimico doesn't get the attention the downtown core gets.
According to a city map there's only one needle exchange in Ward 6,
for women only.

"My husband and I have this dream of living in the countryside, where
our son and dog can roam free," she said.

"Yet at the same time, we love the culture and tolerance of the city,
and frankly we just don't want to let this situation win."
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MAP posted-by: Matt