Quote:
Originally Posted by blueash
Perhaps you are unaware, but the term sharps container in medical speak does not mean disposal of any sharp material such as your razor blades in your home. It refers to materials that may be contaminated with blood or other infectious materials. It is perfectly legal for an individual to throw away a razor blade or a box cutter in their home trash without precautions or broken glass or blood stained clothing. Actually a person with diabetes can throw away their needles at home as well. It is discouraged and there are programs to make it easy to not do that, but it is not illegal AFAIK.
State by state laws as of 2019 are HERE
. I suspect if we were throwing our needles into the trash cans in the offices of the legislators in Tallahassee, we might see some rules in Florida (is that too political?)
It is human and decent to try to protect the workers who will collect your trash, as you do, but it is not required. It is regulated for businesses.
As to the post above mine
You're posting is garbage.
Just the simple choice to put quotes around "proper" tells the reader everything they need to know about your thinking process. There is in fact a proper was to dispose of needles, not a "proper" way. As to the thrust of your opinion. A soup can lid can cut the trash collector but it is not going to have blood from the user on it and not going to present a risk of contracting blood borne pathogens, unlike your needle which you believe you made safe. It is unclear how that person who is not carrying around a disposal kit just happens to be carrying around a needle cutter. The small needle cutters do NOT remove the needle, they just shorten it. There is a reason a sharps container has a biohazard label, and it is not because it might contain remnants of soup. |
Whoopie Doo! A needle broken off in the trash is not more apt to stick someone than a soup can lid which is much larger. You are assuming that every needle that you find has a contagious disease. Kind of like the maskers thinking that anyone without a mask is infected. The fact is that your sharps container is not available everywhere you go. Next thing that will happen is that some on here will expect every gas station and carryout to have them available. This is real life. There is no reason that a rec center, which is short for the key work RECREATION should have a means to dispose of needles. Neither should the postal boxes where we pick up our mail. AND you are more likely to find junkie needles there than other places in the Villages. And I break needles all the time and have never used "needle cutters." Don't know about you but the needles I break, end up breaking off at the point they enter the syringe. I am sure that there are far more dangerous materials in the trash. I am not saying you are wrong, just not living in the real world if you think everybody is going to do the "proper" thing. And no, I am not a medical professional, although I have spent the night at the Holiday Inn Express.
And just a note: Syringes are used for other purposes besides medical. They are also used to apply glues and lubricants to small areas.