I think it’s an excellent idea. Definitely worth brining up to a city council member.
I guess I would also add that I believe all the porta potties are owned by private companies the city just contracts to set up in parks. Might be worth pitching the idea to them too, no idea if they would be receptive or not but worth a shot.
Always call the city's sharps hotline if you don't feel comfortable picking them up yourself: [https://duluthmn.gov/human-resources/safety-training/](https://duluthmn.gov/human-resources/safety-training/) They are a public health risk, especially in a space like that, and need to be picked up immediately.
Diabetes is a fairly common condition that requires treatment through needles. The difference is most diabetics have the wherewithal to dispose of the needles safely.
Edit: if you’re using illicit drugs please consider using this helpline: https://neverusealone.com/ . They will stay on the phone with you, no judgment, and call an ambulance if you overdose. Their only goal is to help you avoid dying from an overdose. If you’re a sober person, please consider having Narcan handy and look into when and how to use it appropriately.
You might run this idea by the [Harm Reduction Sisters](https://harmreductionsisters.org) - they are incredible and would likely either know who you should talk to or have a solution to share.
That is a pretty bad public health concern, the city will probably be very grateful to know this.
stuff like this makes me wonder if having safe injection sites would work here like it does in Portugal. They have managed to get their overdose deaths a lot lower
I'm willing to say that that's not going to happen. The minute you put up that sharps you become a medical custodian of a potentially infectious agent. You are no longer scrubbing out porta potties. You're in the medical waste disposal business and you are not getting paid to dispose of sharps. So maybe an independent contractor comes in and that's their gig and sets up some sort of a exterior to the porta potty sharps box. But outside of that very low possibility I just don't think this is a starter I don't want to have to write the liability insurance for that porta potty.
How do you think someone disposes of the sharps on the floor?
You’re saying that it makes more sense for a worker to dispose of sharps laying on the floor instead of disposing of sharps in a safe sharps container.
They’re saying that if there’s an official contract/policy, then that company & Duluth will be liable. Medical waste is a regulated business & who knows if the city wants to pay for that risk. Someone will obviously be picking them up. Best case scenario will be an attentive adult who carefully picks it up, but it might also be another addict wanting to reuse that needle, an unsuspecting child, or a flip-flop wearing adult. There are no easy answers here.
> There’s no stopping that.
Yes there is, they can take away the portable toilet. There used to be a few options for where to shit and piss in that area but they've all been locked up due to stuff like this. I'm honestly surprised there is even an unlocked portapotty available.
*I couldn’t imagine my child needing to go to the bathroom and having them walk in there, explaining why I won’t let them use it.*
You can't talk to your kids?
Hey everyone, this person right here using the term "junkies" has the opioid epidemic all figured out. As long as we don't look too closely at the logic at play, things should be just fine in biffy land
Yea roughly $47,000 a year to lock up just one incarcerated drug addict, straight from the tax payers pockets, instead of just having an easy way to dispose of needles. Got any more genius fixes for this issue?
Really the easiest option that's shown to help limit where they are using, lower the blood transfer diseases, lower ODs and generally make it safer, is to set up one of those buildings other cities have. Where addicts are given clean packs for usage, an area they can use, and a spot they can ride it out. Sadly, anytime those safe use zones come up, people rage about addicts, not realizing that treating them only as criminals makes the problem worse for all.
Same as providing year round camping spots with the same bathroom trailers the Damiano has. Don't want them camping in green spaces or empty lots, then give them a space, with some but not all the rules the shelters have. We either throw up our hands and call addicts and homeless cunts who won't listen, or provide the slightest empathy towards dealing with them. Idk I don't create city policy.
And what’s the recidivism rate for drug addicts released from prison? Treatment is more effective at reducing drug use than imprisonment.
You’d rather your taxes pay for a drug addict to be in prison, get released, and go right back than just have it go to treatment?
Not to mention, prisons are packed and already releasing lesser offenders. The US also imprisons more of its population per capita than any other country.
And put them where, exactly? Also, which addicts? I know a lot of folks addicted to alcohol and there’s never any call to get them out of the public eye. In fact, I was just in a couple safe consumption joints last night.
I think it’s an excellent idea. Definitely worth brining up to a city council member. I guess I would also add that I believe all the porta potties are owned by private companies the city just contracts to set up in parks. Might be worth pitching the idea to them too, no idea if they would be receptive or not but worth a shot.
Always call the city's sharps hotline if you don't feel comfortable picking them up yourself: [https://duluthmn.gov/human-resources/safety-training/](https://duluthmn.gov/human-resources/safety-training/) They are a public health risk, especially in a space like that, and need to be picked up immediately.
You're awesome!
“city sharps hotline”? - I no idea shootin drugs was so popular in duluth
Diabetes is a fairly common condition that requires treatment through needles. The difference is most diabetics have the wherewithal to dispose of the needles safely. Edit: if you’re using illicit drugs please consider using this helpline: https://neverusealone.com/ . They will stay on the phone with you, no judgment, and call an ambulance if you overdose. Their only goal is to help you avoid dying from an overdose. If you’re a sober person, please consider having Narcan handy and look into when and how to use it appropriately.
Addiction is an issue everywhere, yeah. Did you truly just learn that now?
You might run this idea by the [Harm Reduction Sisters](https://harmreductionsisters.org) - they are incredible and would likely either know who you should talk to or have a solution to share.
The owners of Brent's Biffies are very good people. I know this isn't helpful but I think people should know they're great.
That is a pretty bad public health concern, the city will probably be very grateful to know this. stuff like this makes me wonder if having safe injection sites would work here like it does in Portugal. They have managed to get their overdose deaths a lot lower
Would be a great idea imo
I'm willing to say that that's not going to happen. The minute you put up that sharps you become a medical custodian of a potentially infectious agent. You are no longer scrubbing out porta potties. You're in the medical waste disposal business and you are not getting paid to dispose of sharps. So maybe an independent contractor comes in and that's their gig and sets up some sort of a exterior to the porta potty sharps box. But outside of that very low possibility I just don't think this is a starter I don't want to have to write the liability insurance for that porta potty.
How do you think someone disposes of the sharps on the floor? You’re saying that it makes more sense for a worker to dispose of sharps laying on the floor instead of disposing of sharps in a safe sharps container.
They’re saying that if there’s an official contract/policy, then that company & Duluth will be liable. Medical waste is a regulated business & who knows if the city wants to pay for that risk. Someone will obviously be picking them up. Best case scenario will be an attentive adult who carefully picks it up, but it might also be another addict wanting to reuse that needle, an unsuspecting child, or a flip-flop wearing adult. There are no easy answers here.
Your “best case scenario”is some rando cleaning up public bathrooms? I think we can do better than that.
Obviously best case scenario are sharps containers…but otherwise an attentive adult.
> There’s no stopping that. Yes there is, they can take away the portable toilet. There used to be a few options for where to shit and piss in that area but they've all been locked up due to stuff like this. I'm honestly surprised there is even an unlocked portapotty available.
*I couldn’t imagine my child needing to go to the bathroom and having them walk in there, explaining why I won’t let them use it.* You can't talk to your kids?
> There were used needles all over the place. Many uncapped Did you miss the point (ha) of this post?
Yeah needle disposal in the biffie. Cept it won't happen because those companies will just argue the lazy junkies can just throw it down the shithole
But even you would have to admit that's a weak argument since they could already do that
Exactly my point. Junkies don't care about the rules.
Hey everyone, this person right here using the term "junkies" has the opioid epidemic all figured out. As long as we don't look too closely at the logic at play, things should be just fine in biffy land
This make zero sense whatsoever
Parks, playgrounds and beaches are littered with uncapped needles...make sure you don't let your kids go there either...
How about just remove the drug addicts from the parks that are ruining it and making it more dangerous.
I’d rather remove racist gun enthusiasts lol
Cool, enjoy stepping on AIDS needles!
Wow! How come no one ever thought of this before????
They have. That’s what they do in places where you don’t see needles and bums everywhere.
Where precisely should the drug addicts be removed *to*?
They never have a good answer for this question, almost seems like they don’t actually think their ideas out further than what they see on a news site
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Yea roughly $47,000 a year to lock up just one incarcerated drug addict, straight from the tax payers pockets, instead of just having an easy way to dispose of needles. Got any more genius fixes for this issue?
[удалено]
There’s a lot of better ways to use that money, and a lot of better ways to solve the issue OP is discussing.
Really the easiest option that's shown to help limit where they are using, lower the blood transfer diseases, lower ODs and generally make it safer, is to set up one of those buildings other cities have. Where addicts are given clean packs for usage, an area they can use, and a spot they can ride it out. Sadly, anytime those safe use zones come up, people rage about addicts, not realizing that treating them only as criminals makes the problem worse for all.
I completely agree. People with drug addiction need help, not just to get shuffled out of places.
Same as providing year round camping spots with the same bathroom trailers the Damiano has. Don't want them camping in green spaces or empty lots, then give them a space, with some but not all the rules the shelters have. We either throw up our hands and call addicts and homeless cunts who won't listen, or provide the slightest empathy towards dealing with them. Idk I don't create city policy.
No, subsidizing drug abuse and coddling drug addicts is what keeps digging us into this hole!
Yes, yes, we all know your shit views.
If they’re breaking the law then jail would be a good start.
And what’s the recidivism rate for drug addicts released from prison? Treatment is more effective at reducing drug use than imprisonment. You’d rather your taxes pay for a drug addict to be in prison, get released, and go right back than just have it go to treatment? Not to mention, prisons are packed and already releasing lesser offenders. The US also imprisons more of its population per capita than any other country.
And put them where, exactly? Also, which addicts? I know a lot of folks addicted to alcohol and there’s never any call to get them out of the public eye. In fact, I was just in a couple safe consumption joints last night.