Syringes found in Swampscott

SWAMPSCOTT – Public Health Director Jeff Vaughan said that four syringes without needles were recently found on King’s Beach.He believes someone dumped them offshore and urged residents to contact officials rather than handle any syringes they found.”We collected four this week and all had their needles broken off,” said Vaughan. “They could be from anything, but it seemed like they were medical waste rather than from illicit drug use.”Vaughan said he based his determination on several factors: The syringes were all the same narrow-bodied model that are often used by diabetics. Furthermore, the broken-off needles indicate that the devices were purposefully disposed of by an individual rather than hastily discarded. Finally, Vaughan said that similar syringes – also with their needles removed – washed up this winter at Fisherman’s Beach.”It looks like they were dumped offshore and then drifted in,” Vaughan said. “They knew they were doing something bad, at least they were trying not to be too terrible about it.”Lynn resident Margot Abels reported seeing syringes at or near the beach on two occasions recently. She agreed, however, that they appeared to be medical waste rather than from drug use.”I was just walking my dog on the beach,” Abels said. “I’ve seen the coverage of syringes found in Lynn and Saugus, and wanted people to know that you can find them anywhere. And there are a lot of kids and dogs running around on that beach.”Regardless of the syringes’ use, Vaughan said that people can discard their used needles into appropriate receptacles at the Police Department or at the Department of Health office in Town Hall. Police Chief Ronald Madigan said that if anybody sees a syringe, they can call the Department and they will send a cruiser to pick it up.