‘Sick and tired’ of the needles in Wallaceburg

Eric Mackenzie
Eric Mackenzie

Wallaceburg resident Eric Mackenzie has had enough.

After speaking with his neighbour, he learned that her and her children found some used needles this week on Dufferin Avenue.

“They ended up calling police and they took care of it, but they only looked for the two needles only, they didn’t look for any more,” Mackenzie said. “So I decided myself that I would try to get a group or some volunteer people to help out. Walk the tracks, around Sam’s (Hotel), the parks, all the play grounds, around neighbourhoods where you think problems with drugs might be and try to get any off the street or off the properties to try and save our kids from getting stuck by a needle.”

Mackenzie said in preparation, some people helped out by providing some supplies.

“I went to the hospital and got some containers for sharp objects, I went to Jackson’s and got some sharp containers from them,” he said, adding that others gave gloves and tongs. “I went to the police station to let them know what was going on, to make sure everything was legal and allowed, and make sure they knew it was happening.”

Mackenzie met across from Sam’s Hotel tonight (June 11) and waited for some people he had spoken to online about it to show up. When they never made it, he decided to make the trek solo.

“I have three kids of my own,” he said. “I’m worried about the kids and just people walking in public. I just want everyone to be safe.”

Mackenzie said he canvassed the neighbourhood for two hours, without finding a needle.

However, Mackenzie said the drug and needle problem in the community is a growing concern.

“It’s getting bigger and bigger,” he said. “Everyone that I have talked to about it say they have either seen needles or know people who have seen them at either schools or playgrounds, even on the streets. Anywhere where the public is walking or travelling, they’re finding them all over the place.”

Mackenzie said he wants to see some people in the community step up to the plate.

“No one is doing anything about it, so I figured I’d try to get something fixed,” he said. “I’m tired of people talking about the problem, but not going out and doing anything about it.”

Moving forward, Mackenzie said he plans to continue going on the walks.

“If we start it once a week, start at one park, go to a different park and go through where people are travelling with kids and their families,” he said. “I’ll keep doing these walks by myself if I have to.”

The Sydenham Current wrote a story on April 11, about a found needle in Wallaceburg. You can read it here: What if my kids picked up this needle?

5 COMMENTS

  1. I’m am available to help.. I’ve disposed of some myself when I came across 2 at the park by the museum here in wallaceburg. I’m willing to gather some people that would volunteer their time for the next neighbour walk.

  2. funny how this says that they called the cops and that they came and took care of the needle but yet when my daughter and i found one in a park by us. i called the cops and they told me to take care of it myself. so i did. i throw it out in the trash can in the park.

  3. It is good to see somebody doing something about this problem. To anyone who is cleaning up, please wear thick gloves, even if the cap is still on. Some poorer quality needles have caps that can pop off, rather than screw off, and the needle can easily pierce thinner gloves.

    However, as an ex-heroin addict (granted, it has been 10 years since I quit), I plead with the current addicts; please be a responsible user. Don’t throw your needles everywhere. When you are done your shot, put the cap back on the needle, and keep it in a strong plastic bag. There are needle bins all over (I know that even the Dresden Tim Horton’s has one in the bathroom, I do not know about Wallaceburg), and I am almost positive that the hospital will provide some type of a needle exchange.

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