OPP have found the owner of a used needle that was tossed to the side of Highway 66 in Lebel Township, south of Kirkland Lake.
On Sept. 26, acting on a tip, police found a used needle among other discarded items and were able to identify the owner.
A 32-year-old person from Kirkland Lake was issued a Provincial Offence Notice and charged with disposing of a needle in a public place. Police did not identify the person.
Ontario's Safe Streets Act says, "No person shall dispose of any of the following things in an outdoor public place:"
- A used condom.
- A new or used hypodermic needle or syringe.
- Broken glass.
A person must take reasonable precautions to dispose of those items in a manner that would not endanger the health or safety of any person.
On a first conviction you can be fined not more than $500; and on each subsequent conviction, to a fine of not more than $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than six months, or to both.
The Kirkland Lake OPP emphasize the dangers of disposing of sharps or drug paraphernalia in public places and encourage people to use the needle drop boxes.
