Discarded Needles in Our Communities

Children should never touch a discarded needle, crack pipe or other drug paraphernalia. 
If an adult chooses not to pick up a needle or crack pipe to safely dispose of them, call 3-1-1 to make arrangements to have the City pick them up immediately.

What to do if you find used needles, crack pipes or other drug paraphernalia 

1. Treat all needles and crack pipes (glass stems) as contaminated.
2. Wear gloves (i.e. latex, rubber or leather gardening gloves). Gloves are meant to protect against fluid contamination, not punctures or cuts.
3. Use tongs, pliers or tweezers to pick up the needle. Be sure to clean and disinfect the pickup instrument afterwards.
4. Pick up the needle by the plastic end (syringe).
5. Point the needle tip away from your body. Be very careful not to poke yourself with the needle.
6. Put the sharps disposal container on a stable surface next to the needle. Do not hold the container in your hand while placing the needle inside.
7. Place the needle point down into the container. Do not force the needle into the container.
8. If you do not have a specialized sharps container, put the needle into a non-breakable, puncture-proof container with a lid. (i.e. thick plastic bottle or tin can.)
9. Close the container securely.
10. Find the nearest needle disposal location. Do not flush needles down the toilet or put them in the garbage or recycling bin.
11. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after removal of gloves.
12. New - If you have picked up used needles or other drug paraphernalia in your neighbourhood, please report these finds to Ottawa Public Health at the Public Reporting Webform.

If a needle injury occurs, seek immediate medical attention.

Training module: Safe handling and disposal of needles

The Needle Drop Box Program provides Ottawa residents with secure and tamper-proof drop boxes located at approximately 90 locations across the City to allow for the safe and convenient disposal of sharps. See the Needle Drop Box Locations table below to find the needle drop box nearest you. For information on the safe handling and disposal of needles, please visit What to do with used needles and crack pipes. In addition, residents can take used needles to Household Hazardous Waste Depots or make arrangements with a participating pharmacy.

It is against the law to dispose of your needles, glass stems, or other sharps in the garbage or recycling (By-law 2012-370 Schedule G - Prohibited Material)."

In place since 1998, the Needle Hunters operate year-round, and work seven days a week. A Needle Hunters winter route was initiated in during the 2012-2013 winter season in many of the ByWard Market area parking garages and covered/accessible areas. Currently, they monitor/patrol the communities of:

• ByWard Market/Lowertown
• Centretown
• Vanier
• Carlington

Ottawa Public Health works with other City departments through the City Contact Centre 3-1-1 to respond to requests for the pick-up of improperly discarded used needles. The City makes an effort to respond to all needle retrieval requests within one hour. 

Responsibility for Needles Found on Private Property

Property owners are responsible for removing discarded needles / paraphernalia from their property.

• Non-publicly accessible areas: Property owners are responsible for having the item(s) removed. If they are not comfortable removing the item(s), they should call a private waste removal company to have the hazardous material removed.
• Publicly accessible areas: By-law and Regulatory Services may attend if the item is publicly accessible and poses a risk to the public.

Ottawa Public Health operates the Site Clean Needle Syringe Program. This program operates on the harm reduction principle of providing clients with an adequate amount of sterile needles to meet their requirements for safe injecting. The main goal of this program is to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, primarily HIV and Hepatitis C, and minimize the risks associated with substance use in the greater community. Our Public Health professionals also educate intravenous drug users on how to dispose of needles safely and the risks of failing to do so. We provide them with sharps containers and information on various disposal locations.

For more information please visit the Site Needle & Syringe Program webpage.

Ottawa Public Health consults with a broad segment of the community on local needs and concerns, and carries out a number of initiatives to ensure the program's effectiveness including:

• tracking the number of discarded needles and drug paraphernalia found in the City and directing our programs and resources to areas in need
• tracking and analyzing local injury and disease rates
• ongoing research including program evaluation and implementation of best practices
• advocating for increased resources for needle clean-up and recovery programs.

* In 2012, in response to concerns that needle drop box figures underestimated the total number of needles retrieved out of the drop boxes, OPH implemented a more accurate method for calculating the contents of needle drop boxes, based on sharps weight from each box.

Please note: Data for Needle Drop Boxes and Household Hazardous Waste Depots are estimates based on weight. These weights and resulting estimates for numbers of needles may be affected by garbage and other drug paraphernalia. The collection of needles from City staff, Needle Hunters, and the Site program & partner agencies are largely true counts but may include some estimates based on weights.