A Marshfield Clinic Center for Community Outreach and Marshfield Area Coalition for Youth column
In an effort to prevent needle-stick injury and spread of infectious disease, Marshfield Police Department has installed a sharps disposal with support from Marshfield Clinic and Marshfield Area Coalition for Youth.
Treehouse Wood Creation’s Travis Esser, who is a patrol lieutenant at Marshfield Police Department, designed and built a wooden cabinet to ensure a safe, puncture resistant sharps disposal container. Drop off needles, syringes, lancets, auto injectors, infusion sets, and connection needles/sets from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), used needles and other sharps are dangerous if not disposed of safely because they can cause injury and spread infections that cause serious health conditions (e.g. Hepatitis C, HIV).
Used sharps should be immediately placed in an FDA-cleared sharps container or a heavy-duty plastic household container (e.g. a laundry detergent container). After your home or travel sharps container is full, bring it to the sharps collection container at the Marshfield Police Department or the local hospital disposals located by the gift shop and the emergency room entryway.
Marshfield Area Coalition for Youth (MACY) is working to make Marshfield the best place to raise a family. MACY’s Drug Task Force is striving to reduce and prevent prescription drug abuse and heroin use. MACY is supported by Marshfield Clinic Center for Community Outreach and more than 200 members representing over 40 organizations in Marshfield.
Ask Marshfield Police Department
Question: What should I do if a needle or other sharps are found on the street or in another public place?
Answer: If you find a needle or other sharps, call Marshfield Police Department non-emergency dispatch center at 715-387-4394 and give your location to ensure safe disposal. Do not attempt to dispose of sharps that do not belong to you, as there are several consequences (both health-related and legal if it contains drug residue).
Schedule a MACY Drug Task Force presentation or submit “Ask Marshfield Police Department” questions to Marshfield Clinic Center for Community Outreach at 715-221-8400 or email [email protected].
