Maybe in order to get free needles from the needle exchange, you must be on record helping to clean up needles and condoms from parks and public areas - first year you get a pass, second year, no needles without cleanup.

Wow!! I'm amazed and sickened by your pictures! I'm so glad I live in rural Saskatchewan! I can't imagine taking kids to these parks. I know my city, Estevan, is by far not free of drug use, but I don't remember ever seeing this in our city parks when I did live in town! I can't believe we give these needles away! What are we thinking??

Good on you for bringing this up. Something must be done, this is completely unacceptable.

Hi Tammy,

Just curious, do you know if there's any possibility of the Health Region handing out different types of needles? I thought the Health Region now uses different types of needles that retract once injected. Why can't these be given out? Yeah, it'd still be a horrible mess but maybe far less dangerous to the public. Any idea if this could be done?

-Todd

How about the people who use the needle exchange while picking up their new needles; some type of organized monitored group effort to clean up their own mess and realize the day after what they are doing to their supportive public. My 12 year old cleans up after herself...

Tammy, this is often what many people's front lawns and front streets look like, right from the far south to the far north on the west side up to the University Bridge. I challenge you to venture through the streets and Parks of Holiday Park, Westview, Hudson Bay Park, Westmount, North Park, Downtown including Kinsemen Park, Buena Vista, Nutana, Caswell, Kelsey Woodlawn, Mayfair, as you will find the same problem along with an excess of fast food garbage, drink containers, etc., also littering streets and neighboring yards. It's called too many young adults (20 - 30yrs) & young teens who have absolutely no respect for others property, let alone respect for their parents or teachers or even the police. The younger ones know that no one can really do anything about their bad behaviour that would be a deterrent, even through the law, and the older ones are used to getting away with everything and choose to continue disrespectful behaviour! These people have been coddled by the Social Workers who believe that children should not be so closely monitored by parents and left to make their own choices and have the freedom to do what they prefer without parental guidance. Parents are made to feel as though they are restricting their children by trying to teach them manners and respect, and hurting their feelings by telling the kids that they are not pulling their weight in society! BLAME OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM AND OUR SOCIAL WORKERS - NOT THE PARENTS!

This is a truly sick and disgusting aspect of our society. I found two needles along my back fence I had to discard myself. Why use thousands of tax dollars calling the fire dept. to pick up two needles. There has to be a better way to deal with this problem. Walking to work I have noticed condom wrappers and broken needles in the Tim Horton's parking lot on 22nd Street. How many of these needles are merely an indication of the numbers of loser men in this town supplying youngsters and prostitutes drugs and needles and then sexually abusing them in our parks and alleys all across Saskatoon. Don't think its not true. The city police are never around these public areas & checking for this sort of activity and catching these losers in the act. I have yet to ever see a cop drive down my back alley in Riversdale to see what may be going on. Thanks Tammy for the enlightening photos. I've wondered myself why this type of news and photo coverage isn't done more often. Tammy has taken a real life situation and presented it as in your face news. Right on! And don't get me going about the pigs who throw garbage out their car windows and while walking around. There has to be a million Tim's coffee cups on the ground in Saskatoon right now. What the hell is wrong with people!

I'm just confused about where the "exchange" part comes in to all of this? "Hi, I'm here to exchange my dirty needles?" . . . "Where are the dirty needles you wanted to exchange?" . . . "Oh nevermind . . .here are some free needles anyway."

Good for you, Tammy, for showing us what's really happening.

This all drives me insane. It is so obvious to me that the "exchange" program doesn't involve exchange. I personally think that users will keep a much closer eye on where their needles are if they don't get new ones handed out. Let them share and catch whatever they catch - it is their CHOICE.

I think the preserving the health and safety of kids that don't have a choice is far more important, and has far more potential for positive impact that these programs. Even one kid catching a disease from a needle is too many. The neighbourhoods with the most used needles also have the most unsupervised kids (I know because I live in one with 2 kids, which I watch like a hawk, but don't see others doing the same).

The 40% increase in HIV should be enough for the gov't to say - nope, didn't work. Lets scrap the program.

Well, I hope you were very careful as you picked up all these needles and disposed of them properly, as any good parent would who found them. Good luck!

This is appalling. I agree with the poster who said the 40 percent increase in HIV is enough to justify scrapping the program.

I cannot believe this. I am just livid. Our Premier is wasting his time in Ontario, instead of dealing with the serious home grown issues that need attention.

WHEN will something be done about this!!!!!!

We have scads of clean-up crews ready to go at any time to clean up this mess...they are called convicts! How about rather than sitting in jail getting three squares a day, get their butts out there and do some work? AND, I agree with the "work for your needles" idea. IF thee are free needles being handed out ANYWAY, why not have to put in a couple hours of city clean-up for your supply?

I love the irony of how these free needls are found in close proximity to discarded cigarette packages. They can afford smokes?? Are you kidding me???

I had no idea it was that bad.

Couple of my own personal thoughts. First, providing clean needles is a GOOD thing...however there must be some sort of exchange taking place. Why provide clean needles to infected people so they can throw it on the ground after they infected it to cause a risk to others?

If a person brings in a dirty needle...then yes they should be then handed a clean needle. OR, because carying around used needles is not necessarily safe, I wonder if they could make it so when a needle is discarded at a drop box they can get a ticket dispensed which entitles them to a new clean needle? I have no idea if that is possible....

Second, the crime for discarding a used needle on the ground should be the SAME as discarding a used gun on the ground.

The penalties should be HUGE. Jail jail jail. That will cause the druggies to discard the needles properly.

Thanks for posting the link to the review itself Tammy. I read through a good chunk of it this morning, and it became clear what the program is really about. It is about saving money! It isn't about trying to clean up used dirty needles, or prevent innocent bystandards from getting infected . . . The report actually says that the chance of being infected from a dirty needle is quite rare!? Isn't that the exact opposite of what we've been taught our entire lives. It says that 90% of needles are returned, ect, ect. The report basically says that the number of dirty needles being tossed about our parks in a festive manner are caused by users buying needles in bulk from groceries, pharmacies, ect. (Thats called passing the buck!) But again, the program is ment to debunk the growing numbers of HIV cases in Saskatchewan, which in turns saves the provincial health regions money. It is in this case that the report contradicts itself by saying that HIV is rising 40%, but at the same time, the number of cases are down? The report is really muddled up in this respect. I think if everyone gets a chance, they should really read the report. I'm pretty embarrased that my province has released such a medeocer report that they for some reason stand by.

Here is an idea:

If you are convicted of a drug charge and get a community service component to your punishment it isn't measured in hours, but numbers of used needles recovered. Use the same rational for other charges. Alcohol related, clean up used beverage containers. Sexual predators and the like, used condoms. It might not get anyone to quit the activity, but our streets would be clean and a bunch of pink, orange, or yellow jumpsuits wandering around cleaning up a mess might make the kids think about what they get into.

If all these "do-gooders" really want to try some harm reduction, why don't they go and pick up all the needles left in the parks rather than having highly trained, highly skilled firefighters away from their post so that they can properly respond to real emergencies when they come up. I used to manage apartments in the "hood", and I just used a pair of tongs to put the needles into an old milk jug filled with bleach, and took it down to the fire hall when filled. I'm sure those driving the vans and handing out all the syringes could do likewise, and would be finally fulfilling that goal of "harm reduction".

I think a lot of society problems are a result of political correctness...i.e., too afraid to hurt someone's feelings...CRAP! We removed the "Lord's Prayer" from schools so as not to offend certain minorities, we coddled the drug addicted scum bags so as not to offend them and to make sure they don't somehow contract H.I.V., Hep C., etc. How about this...the poor diabetic individual has to pay for their needles, but if you are using illegal drugs, why, you can just get your needles for free. Apparently, that also gives you the right to just throw them where ever you want to, because that is your free right. What do the social services misfits have to say about my hurt feelings for allowing this crap to happen and to continue and for them to keep telling us this needle exchange program is working??? I don't get it! I think the people that should be cleaning up this mess should be the losers causing the problem....make it a fine option program and for the able bodied welfare recepients who choose this life style, maybe this would be a little pay back for this benefit you are receiving. Why should my hard earned tax dollars pay for a $30/hour fire fighter to do this job. Social Services had better figure this one out soon....very soon!

Here I sit in my farm well over 100 miles from that mess and I am speachless,I cant imagine MY TAX $ paying for recreational drugs. I WANT MY $ BACK.If these users,I use that term because thats what they do use the system so they dont have to face the world.
Round them up.....Lock them up...... dont finance them thats just crazy.

I hope you forward this report and the pictures to the do gooders who pass out these needles and condoms and think there are no repercussions.
What is it going to take to wake these people up?

Tammy, can you get the head person of this BS program on the show so we can tear into him. These do- gooders need public shaming, as much as i'd like to blame the junkies they don't have any brains left. But the harm reduction BS is soon reaching a tipping point. This program can be torn apart with enough public outrage.
I wanna hear how this hippy justifies endangering my kids for the few scumbags.

It's funny to me that people think the solution to this is a box to put the needles in. A box that is RIGHT BESIDE A FREAKIN PUBLIC AREA! How could the people that govern this city possibly ignore how absolutely ridiculous that is. Why!!! WHY are we making the lives of criminals MORE convenient? I just don't get that!! Why are we going out of our way to spend money on contributing to the continued use of drugs. IF YOU ALLOW CRIMINALS TO FREELY COMMIT CRIMES, THEY WILL FREELY COMMIT CRIMES!!! HOW HARD IS THIS TO UNDERSTAND! THEY'RE COMMITTING CRIMES! MR. MAYOR, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON WHY YOUR PEOPLE ARE NOT STAKING OUT THESE PARKS TO ARREST THE PEOPLE COMMITING THESE CRIMES!! CRIMES, THEY ARE AGAINST THE LAW!! THEY ARE PUNISHABLE IF YOU COMMIT THEM. YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO COMMIT CRIMES MR.MAYOR.
Why do I get the feeling that certain people are to busy to devote time to this? Hey everyone, we're in an economic meltdown and ottawa issued 100 MILLION DOLLARS for cultural festivities!! Wow, we are a country with some real issues. And yet one of the most developed. Really?

I’m not sure if changing the needle exchange program would help solve this problem, it’s just as easy to walk to into any pharmacy and ask the pharmacist for a bag of needles pay your money and leave. I wonder how many of these needles came from the needle exchange program.

Along with the needle exchange program the government needs to regulate who can purchase needles from the local pharmacy.

I work at the detox here in Saskatoon and I agree that the needle drop boxes are not working. I think Saskatoon Health Region should set up safe injection sites. Quit giving out needles...have a place where they can safely inject where they are given a clean needle and are to dispose of it before they leave. Many people would argue this is wrong because we are just enabling them, but drug addicts are going to do drugs no matter what. It is very easy for someone who does not work with these people to judge them and call them "junkies" and say well why can't they just do this or do that. Yes I am calling you on calling them junkies...you wouldn't call a black person an N-word would you? They know what they are, you don't have to call them that, the correct term is drug addict. Drug addicts aren't all responsible unfortunately, but they are not all the same, it is the ones who are in the worst place of their lives that usually use, or don't use the bins. Not all drug addicts hang out in sex trade areas or shoot up right by them. I am not making excuses for them either though. It is sad that I can't take my children to certain places. But what are WE going to do about it. There are so many good ideas out there, but we can never get the funding. The safe injection sites would be great because it would decrease the amount of sharps found each year and the Hep C and Hiv rates would go down because users would not be sharing needles as often. If you would like to really get informed so you actually know what you are talking about, please call and speak to a staff member at Mental Health and Addiction Services 655-4100 or 655-4195.

It is about time that we talk about how ineffective and potentionally harmful needle exchange and condom use is. There is always a chance to pass on the deadly concequeses of bad behaviour. Why not stem the tide by promoting safe sex with a condom and tell them the only sure method is absinece till you marry( a novel thought). Also why not talk about the 100% addition rate of taking drugs. If that is not bad enough, the almost 100% chance of getting the dealy aids. It is time to quit telling lies about these big problems.

Your last paragraph is the essence of truth. There is a vast array of people who are making money off of this ill sighted needle exchange and the whole drug culture. From the social workers to the heads of various government departments to the people who are paid to go around and dump the needle exchange boxes, this is for some, a business. As a result numbers are fudged as to the extent of the number of prostitutes on the street, the number of drug users etc. Why ? Because the blacker the picture, the bigger the problem, the larger the numbers, the more funding that flows from government coffers translating into salaries for themselves etc.
Am I saying there are no needy people out there? Of course not! What I am saying is how many are there really and how will we ever know. One thing we do no. Despite the claims of these workers, despite their programs, despite their needle and condom exchanges, HIV is up 40%. Their way is not working. Its time for something else other than aiding and abetting with free drugs, needles and condoms.

Photo's are extremely disturbing, given that parks are meant to be enjoyed by all....including children. Obviously a drive to pick-up discarded needles is a temporary solution, given that needles are continuously distributed free of charge and will be discarded as they are received.
I am ashamed to say that I am a resident of (beautiful??) Saskatoon, whose Health Care program uses my money to provide users with needles and condoms, which in reality does little to combat the problem but instead supports their addiction.
It is time to wake up and smell the roses, there should be a 'fee' for needle/condoms, and the recipients should be given the responsibility and task of maintaining our parks free of any used neddles/condoms. Failure to comply in that regards should result in termination of the program, regardless of the consequences.

Don't get me wrong by my subject title---I do love Saskatoon and always have. That is why I am so disappointed with how awful it has become. I was in the city on Monday, and yes, Tammy it was a beautiful day. But the city itself is covered in garbage. Yes, I know that this time of year nothing looks good but as I drove around the city, I couldn't help notice the litter everywhere I went--it gets worse every year. I then took an afternoon run around the river and I was thoroughly disgusted with what I saw---garbage everywhere, every garbage can I passed was overloaded and spilling out slurpee cups, coffee cups and wrappers on the ground. I was also sad to see an increase of grafitti, paricularly on that new metal engraved picture at River Landing. Then of course, there is the dog feces both on the grass and on the path(are dogs allowed down there now???) I then saw a Canada goose laying gutted on the rocks--dog, probabably. For the first time ever, I felt something I have never felt before in that area of the city---unsafe. I passed a drunk who tried to get in my way, and a group of young men were hanging out under the Broadway bridge and were calling out to the joggers running by. It is a bit unnerving but reality nonetheless.

I was listening to the radio this morning and heard John talking about the "Saskatoon Shines!" logo ---not exactly appropriate for what I have seen throughout the city lately. Hopefully, the citizens will act before it gets beyond their control--I agree with the blogger who says stop passing it on to others---if you see garbage, pick it up. Perhaps we should all be carrying plastic gloves with us when we go out --whatever it takes. I did pick up some garbage but since the cans were full, I had no where to put it. We can definitely do better.

It is too bad that the article does not mention the various community and professional strategies that exist and have existed for some time (including stategies that have law enforcement representation) to work as a community to address these "issues". There is no reference to a comparison of Saskatoon to similar urban centres across Canada. Nor is there any mention of the amount of garbage that "suddenly appears" after the first hot day following Winter. Quite pathetic is the finger pointing attempt at blaming which falls short of being anything but credible. Another poor example of mediocre journalism that exists today. Please take your head out of the sand and start being a participant rather than a critic. It is not that much more work and the results are much more rewarding.