Cleanup of discarded drugs and paraphernalia

It’s cleanup season and that extends to the public streets, parks, and trails. One of the sad realities of our community today is the proliferation of drug paraphernalia littering those areas and elsewhere. What happens when you find hypodermic needles on a public trail used by kids? What about a baggy of a possible drug set on the floor of the bathroom in the restaurant you are in? Do you have a plan for who to call if you find drugs in a public venue?

Handling the situation responsibly is necessary for adults, not just for the safety of everybody involved but also to set an example for the youth of how to maturely handle hazards that we had nothing to do with their creation. By being the role model, you make our community safer in the next generation by inspiring the same.

Take a moment to calmly observe the area and ensure your safety. If you're with others, inform them of your discovery without bringing attention to yourselves. Look around for suspicious activity and remove yourself from the area if you see any. Maintain a safe distance from the drugs and anyone associated with them. Avoid engaging in conversations or interactions with individuals who may be involved in illegal activities.

Contact the appropriate authorities. When appropriate, notify the appropriate law enforcement agency as soon as possible using their non-emergency numbers. In the city of Palmer, call 907-745-4811; for every other community in the Mat-Su Valley, call 907-352-5401. You can always call Crime Stoppers at 907-745-3333 to leave an anonymous tip, as well.

Do not touch or tamper with the drugs until you have spoken with a professional. It's essential to avoid any physical contact with the drugs for many reasons. Handing the drugs or paraphernalia could potentially expose you to harmful substances or incriminate you if law enforcement becomes involved. But you may be given advice to dispose of the product. Not all drugs need emergency services or law enforcement to dispose of them but be sure to call police before you do dispose of it.

Provide the call-taker with details about the location, type of drugs you found, and any suspicious behavior you witnessed. They will have a series of questions to ask you to get all the information they need, so don’t worry that you might forget something important. The more specific and accurate the information you provide, the better equipped professionals will be to handle the situation.

If law enforcement officers decide to respond, cooperate with their instructions. They may request additional information or ask you to provide a statement regarding what you witnessed. They may give advice on how to safely dispose of the product instead. Follow the advice if you feel safe to do so. While it's important to cooperate, your personal safety remains a priority. If you feel uncomfortable or threatened, communicate this to the authorities.

Avoid vigilante actions: never take matters into your own hands. Refrain from confronting individuals or attempting to remove the drugs yourself unless you are advised to do so by professionals. Such actions can put you at risk and may hinder the legal process. We’ve all heard people talk and type about what they would do if they found who was dropping paraphernalia in the playgrounds and parks their kids play at, but engaging in such acts can be riskier than the drug being reacted to and open you up to your own charges.

If you are cleaning up hypodermic needles, the best practice is to wear a pair of leather gloves, use a tool or a gripper stick to pick up the item, and place the needle into a hard canister with a closeable lid. Milk jugs, laundry soap containers, plastic soda bottles, and sharps containers all work well by having a hard container with a lid. Then clearly mark the container about its contents so you don’t open it later to check, and it is ready to be tossed in general trash. The only needles that need to be disposed of at a medical waste facility or hazmat disposal site are the ones saturated in blood. Call the local public health nurse at 907-352-6600 for advice about what to do for blood-saturated products.

After the incident, take a moment to reflect on your surroundings and consider if there are any preventive actions that could be taken to maintain the safety and cleanliness of the park. Perhaps notifying park management or local authorities about the issue could help prevent such incidents in the future. Advocate for change that creates a safer alternative for the drug user than public disposal or discard. Ask for patrols in the area from law enforcement to decrease the amount of drug use in the neighborhood or at the park.

Christian M. Hartley is a 40-year Alaskan resident with over 25 years of public safety experience and public service. He runs a freelance business, Big Lake Writer, from home in Big Lake that he shares with his wife of 19 years and their three teenage sons.