Nearly 11,000 syringes and other drugs paraphernalia have been uplifted from the streets of Tayside in the last three years.
An investigation by The Courier has revealed 10,938 syringes and drugs litter have been recovered by the police and local authorities in the region since 2010/11.
Over the same period 24 people have suffered the physical and emotional trauma of a needle stick injury. That includes police officers and council staff who have been “stuck” by dirty needles in the course of their work.
Top psychologist Professor Patricia Price said many people feel their life is “on hold” as they face the anxious wait for blood test results and test results can take up to three months.
And children as well as adults are being exposed to the dirty and dangerous detritus.
Tayside mum Emma Laidlaw discovered her son had been playing close to a bloody syringe in a disused building in Montrose last summer.
She spoke of her shock at the figures yesterday and called for greater education so children are fully aware of the risks these needles carry.
However, there is some indication that the situation may have improved over the three-year period with a drop in the number of needle-related incidents recorded.
For the full story, see Thursday’s Courier or try our digital edition.