Used alcohol wipes from injection drug kit found in bread rack in downtown store

A London agency is recommending retail employees get trained on how to safely disposeof drug paraphernaliaas it continues to show up in stores in the downtown core.

The call comes following the discovery of alcohol swabs, opened and used, on top of a bread crate in the Dollarama in the CitiPlaza mall. A shopper spotted it and posted a picture on social media.

The store's manager told CBC London she didn't realize what it was when she picked it up, barehanded, during her night shift on August 31, adding she regularly finds empty baggies and even used needles.

"It's not unusual for me to find different things around the store," said Joanne. CBC agreed to withhold her last name for security reasons.

"Being in the downtown core, it's just normal," she added.

Training needed for employees

Finding paraphernaliain retail stores in the downtown isn't newaccording to one London agency that works closely with people who use intravenous drugs.

Sonja Burke, the director of Counterpoint Harm Reduction Services at HIV/AIDS Connection, says the materials aretypically found when the weather is either too cold or warm. She stresses employees need to know what to do when it is discovered.

"What we should incorporate to our standard training is safe syringedisposal," Burke said. "It's very simple and easy. You need a sharps container and a pair of tongs."

According to Burke, agencies like the Regional HIV/AIDS Connection and London Cares would bewilling to train employers and their employees on how to safely dispose of paraphernalia such as syringes, though they are not funded to offer the workshops.

For Joanne at the Dollerama, it would be a training course she would welcome.

"We can't control what people leave in the store, but we need to start figuring out how to make it a safer enviornment."

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