This Seattle Times article caught my eye today:
Seattle schoolchildren find, play with hypodermic needle
Three elementary-school students who played with a hypodermic needle they found near their school have received medical attention, according to David Tucker, a spokesman for the Seattle Public School District.
According to Tucker, the three students found a needle in a city park that is adjacent to TT Minor Elementary School on 17th and Union earlier this week.
Those of us with long institutional memories recall the era before needle exchanges, when we had to be on a lookout for needles during neighborhood cleanups.
Questions:
- Is this an isolated incident?
- Do we need to promote a needle exchange in the area?
- Should local neighbors/businesses organize neighborhood cleanups? Might help answer #1.
I commented about this days ago.
Perhaps that is why they like to lock the gates around the playground.