400 used syringes, needles found

KUTA, Bali: Activists have found at least 400 used syringes and needles, believed to have been buried by injected drug users (IDU), were found in several locations on Bali's most popular beach of Kuta, creating a serious health hazard for tourists.

The discovery was made during the recent Used Syringe and Needle Clean Up Day by activists from Yayasan Hati-hati (YHH), a local non-governmental organization (NGO) that aims to minimize the harmful practices and impacts of drug use.

Wearing special gloves, the activists scoured a strip of beach from the Hard Rock Cafe in the south to the Gado-gado nightclub in the north. The beach front is a popular spot for both domestic and foreign tourists and, at night, it is a preferred hangout for local IDUs, which are growing in number.

"It was a startling discovery for us. We believe that the actual number was much higher than 400, since we have not been able to cover the entire beach," said activist Vicky Gerong.

The syringes and needles were destroyed on Tuesday in the incinerator at Sanglah Central Hospital, Denpasar.

"Today we destroyed a total of 3,000 needles and syringes. The majority of them, about 2,600, were needles and syringes that had been voluntarily delivered to us by drug users," he said. -- JP