BROWNSTOWN
Needle drop boxes can be found around Jackson County.
They are outside the Jackson County Health Department in Seymour and fire stations in Crothersville and Medora. Boxes also have been approved to be placed outside Human Services Inc. in Seymour and the Freetown Community Center in Freetown.
Lin Montgomery, public health coordinator for the health department, told the Brownstown Town Council during its meeting Monday night that they have four more to place. She said she would like one of them to be in Brownstown.
“We know that it’s a burden for people from the west side (of the county) to travel to Seymour to use our kiosk outside after hours and on the weekends or to come in and get the small containers for their use, so what we’re trying to do is make this available throughout the county so that they don’t have to travel so far and keep those things up off the ground,” she said.
The boxes are a part of the health department’s sharps disposal program, a safe and secure disposal of medical sharp supplies. The program also provides free sharps containers and needle clips to Jackson County residents who rely on needles to administer lifesaving medicines.
The program was established in 2009 in cooperation with the Jackson County Recycling District after a garbage collector got stuck by a needle that had been thrown in the trash.
The goal is to keep the sharps out of the daily trash and landfill for the overall safety of all Jackson County citizens.
The recycling district provides funding for the two sizes of sharps disposal containers for the health department to hand out.
Once a container is full, it can be returned to the health department during business hours and exchanged for a new one. Full containers also may be placed in the needle drop boxes at any time.
Montgomery told the Brownstown Town Council there’s no cost to place a drop box, which is red and stands about 4½ feet tall. The health department received a grant to obtain the four it currently has available.
A health department staff member checks on the boxes on a monthly basis.
“At each location, we have an individual that kind of oversees it,” Montgomery said. “If they do see that there’s a lot of traffic there, they call us, and we come out and make certain that it’s cleaned up.”
Councilman Tim Robinson asked about the safety of the boxes, expressing concern if a child could gain access to them. Montgomery said once the door is opened, the items are placed inside and the door is closed, they drop down into the box, and that area is locked.
“You have to have the key to unlock the door and open it up to pull anything out,” she said.
Robinson also asked how long the drop boxes have been in service and how often they are used. Montgomery said the first box was placed a year ago, and Dr. Christopher Bunce, the county public health officer, said not all of them are used very often.
“But at least we have locations because promoting the disposal of these needles is important,” he said. “When they do stick somebody, it makes headlines. It doesn’t happen very often, thankfully, but when it does, it’s a big deal.”
Councilman Gary Drake asked Police Chief Tom Hanner if he feels a drop box is needed in town, and if so, where to put it.
Hanner said eight to 10 years ago, officers were called pretty often to pick up needles found around town. While that may not be as frequent today, he said it’s important to have proper ways to dispose of them.
“Coming from the public safety side of it, law enforcement, we want them disposed of properly,” he said. “The proper disposal, that’s a no-brainer.”
In terms of where to place the drop box, Hanner said he initially thought the town building on East Cross Street that’s being redone to house the police department and town hall would be a good location.
“That sounds like a good place to keep it from being tampered with, but would they come to the department to dispose of it?” Hanner asked. “I’m sure a secluded spot where they can just pull in, drop it and go may be a good idea.”
Drake suggested the town parking lot along West Walnut Street near the current town building.
Council President Gregg Goshorn told Montgomery and Bunce the council would discuss the topic further and see if they can figure out a proper place.
“We wanted you to know that we’re working on it, that we’re thinking about Brownstown. We want to make this available for you,” Montgomery said. “It helps us, too, because we want to control anything affecting the health of our communities.”
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The Jackson County Health Department provides free sharps disposal containers and needle clips to give residents a safe and secure way to dispose of medical sharp supplies.
There also are needle drop boxes outside the health department, 801 W. Second St., Seymour; Crothersville-Vernon Township Volunteer Fire Department, 200 Moore St., Crothersville; and Carr Township Volunteer Fire Department, 167 S. Perry St. Soon, there will be boxes outside Human Services Inc., 1115 E. Oak St., Seymour, and the Freetown Community Center at Second and Union streets in Freetown.
For information about the sharps disposal program, call the health department at 812-522-6474 or stop by between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays.
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