Needle disposal boxes in La Crosse keep filling up

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.