Drug use in Fort Collins parks and natural areas threatens safety

Fort Collins has a drug problem.

It’s evident in seemingly safe places — our parks and natural areas — with used syringes and needles carelessly scattered on grassy areas, under bushes and even on playgrounds.

The problem has been around for a long time. But it has become so pervasive, city officials are considering hiring contractors with experience in handling hazardous waste to assist in cleaning up messes left by transient and local drug users.

Among proposed additions to the city’s 2018 budget is $130,000 to cover the cost of cleaning up encampments in natural areas.

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Officials told City Council members this week they are not sure if that would be enough. A recent camp cleanup at Gustav Swanson Natural Area cost $3,500, said Mike Calhoon, director of parks.

The budget addition, if approved by council, is a starting point as the city wanders into “new territory,” said City Manager Darin Atteberry. The council will hear about it if more funding is needed to address the growing problem.

Under the proposal, a contractor would be called in to clean sites using specialized personal protective equipment. Parks crews already deal with used syringes on a regular basis, officials said, but the rise in fentanyl use by drug abusers has raised concerns about the safety of crew members.

Fentanyl is a highly effective pain killer that is widely used in hospitals. It’s also highly addictive and potentially harmful to people who come in contact with it in powder form, officials said.

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Drug paraphernalia left behind in camps is the greatest safety risk to crews, Calhoon said in an interview. But there are other things left behind in the camps — excrement, blood, vomit — that also are biohazards.

Parks maintenance crews already carry tools to pick up “sharps” and containers with which to properly dispose of them. But the encampments, which can be large and widespread, are a lot to handle.

Proper instruction, supervision and protective equipment are needed to deal with those situations, Calhoon said. That’s why contractors would be called in.

The problem with needle pollution became publicly visible a couple of weeks ago with the revelation that a 4-year-old boy came in contact with a needle while playing at Lee Martinez Park.

The boy was picking up pine cones under a tree when he saw and picked up a used syringe. In the process, he poked his hand, according to a Facebook post by the boy’s mother.

The family’s doctor consulted with infectious disease specialists who said the greatest concerns were exposure to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. The boy is immune to hepatitis B because he’s been vaccinated.

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Chances are good that the boy will be fine. But he’s in for blood draws and careful monitoring for months to come. And his family is in for a lot of stress worrying about him.

Some have suggested a way to address the needle safety problem would be to place sharps containers in parks so users may pick up after themselves. That’s a nice idea: But how practical is it? We’re dealing with people who don’t care much about safety or acting responsibly.

The answer will not be easy to find or cheap. It will take a lot of cleanup, education and hard work helping people break their addictions.

But for the safety of our community, it must be done.

Kevin Duggan is a Coloradoan senior reporter covering local government. Follow him on Twitter, @coloradingoan_dugg and on Facebooks at Coloradoan Kevin Duggan.