AIDS Support Chatham-Kent is unveiling a new 24-hour needle drop box. 
The goal is to make the community safer for users, and for the general public.
Steve Pratt, Reduction Program Manager with AIDS Support Chatham-Kent, says other communities are beginning to implement similar programs.
“They help to reduce the transmission of Hepatitis C, but also help keep needles out of streets and parks,” Pratt says. “If you’re not able to go to a pharmacy, or to our building here, or the Public Heath Unit, there’s an option here to dispose of your needles, 24/7.”
The box is located at 67 Adelaide St. South at the corner of William in Chatham.
Pratt notes that Hepatitis C rates in Chatham-Kent are double the provincial average.
