"Barefoot in the Park"
The idea for the Safe Needle Disposal Toolkit followed a public workshop facilitated by Safer Futures in May 2007. A concern about discarded needles in public places was raised by residents and brought forward by the Cairnsmore and James Alexander Working Groups to Safer Futures. The workshop was very well attended and of the solutions identified, regional planning for needle disposal was included. The recommendations were brought to the Community Safety Advisory Committee which formed a subcommittee to develop the initiative.

Although actual numbers of discarded needles in the Cowichan Valley are not high, interviews with community agencies, schools, local government and businesses indicated the need for public education and awareness. The safe handling of found needles is a key focus of the toolkit; access it by clicking on the following link: