According to the U.S. EPA, over 9 million people use injectible substances outside of healthcare facilities and an estimated 3 billion medical sharps (used needles, used syringes and discarded lancets) enter the municiap waste stream annually. Although the institutional use and disposal of these instruments are subject to governmental control, regulatory agencies until recently did not forsee the exponential growth of home-use injectible medications nor the burden home-generated medical waste disposal has placed on the municipal waste system.
The Sharps Proliferation Crisis
Used Sharps Create Health And Safety Hazard
Fear And Stress Follow Needlesticks
Concerns Of Secondary Infection Linger
For victims of accidental needlesticks, the emotional damage continues long after the physical injury heals. Anxiety and stress about secondary infection from used needles can have lingering psychological effects for victims.
Self-Injection Enters Mainstream
Changing Attitudes Add To Disposal Crisis
In decades past, the 'sharps problem' was limited to a small percentage of illicit drugs users discarding used syringes in parks and alleyways. Although this problem persists in many major cities, the sharps disposal problem has arrived on Main Street.
