(Seattle, WA, Tuesday, November 13, 2018) – Nationally, one-fifth of people who use sharps outside of a medical facility don’t dispose of them properly, a new survey finds. If you’re a resident of Washington State who suffers from a chronic illness that requires the use of sharps, lancets, needles or auto injectors outside of a medical facility, you may not know how to get rid of your used sharps safely.

Millions of people in the United States use medical sharps to manage their health. The new survey sponsored by NeedyMeds, a national patient education non-profit that provides comprehensive and reliable information on assistance programs available for people having difficulties paying for their medications or healthcare, and safe sharps disposal practices, reveals that 20 percent of people who use sharps surveyed nationally do not dispose of them properly. The survey was designed to better understand whether sharps users knew about and understood safe disposal practices and how disposal regulations differ across the country, and in some cases, within states.

Larry Ellingson, a member of the National Diabetes Volunteer Leadership Council and former National Chairman of the Board of the American Diabetes Association, explains more about safe disposal in Washington.

SOUNDBITE #1:

THE WEBSITE WILL HELP WASHINGTON RESIDENTS LEARN ABOUT SAFE NEEDLE DISPOSAL OPTIONS NEAREST TO THEIR HOME, WORK, OR WHEREVER THEY MAY BE. THIS CONSUMER RESOURCE IS MUCH NEEDED FOR PEOPLE WHO USE NEEDLES TO MANAGE THEIR MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND WANT TO DISPOSE OF THEM SAFELY.

SOUNDBITE #2:

ACCORDING TO THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, SHARPS THAT ARE NOT DISPOSED OF PROPERLY MAY CAUSE INJURY. THIS WEBSITE IS A RESOURCE FOR EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND, WASHINGTON-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE, DOWN TO YOUR OWN ZIP CODE. REMEMBER, SAFETY IS THE POINT.

For more information, visit SafeNeedleDisposal.org.