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Needle disposal boxes in La Crosse keep filling up

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For just over a year, La Crosse has had two red metal boxes stationed in public for the collection of medical sharps, including drug needles.

The drop-off boxes appear to be a success, taking in roughly 80 to 100 pounds of needles every month.

“It seems like folks have id this as a safe way to get used syringes out of the community and safely disposed of,” Bill Keeton from the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin said.

The boxes were installed in downtown La Crosse and at a Black River boat landing to relieve local firefighters of some of the burden of picking up discarded needles around the city.

Between 800-1,000 pounds of needles have been placed in those boxes since they were installed in April of last year. The boxes collected more than 50,000 needles in the first six months of use.

The resource center also continues to carry out a needle exchange in La Crosse, for people who have syringes for medical purposes or drug use.

Keeton says his agency made 2,600 exchanges in the last 12 months.

The exchange is now located in the 800 block of Rose Street in La Crosse.

 

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.

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