Tide Outflow Brings Beached Needles To Seabright

SANTA CRUZ - It’s hard to say if El Nino is to blame.

Water outflows pouring down the San Lorenzo Valley toward the ocean have left nearly 10,000 hypodermic needles on local beaches and nearby areas in the past three years.

According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, local residents found 26 needles January 5-7 at Seabright State Beach, including a bloody needle that a child found while making a fort out of driftwood.

“With the high waves and weather, needles are washing down the (San Lorenzo) river and washing on to our beaches,” Take Back Santa Cruz co-founder Analicia Cube told the paper. “Unfortunately, we’re going to be seeing a lot of debris. People just need to be careful when they’re walking on the beach.”

KSBW reports at least seven people have been stuck by beached syringes in the past, including three children.

Take Back Santa Cruz recommends these steps if you’re confronted with a cache of syringes:

• If you have found syringes in the community first determine if they are located in a place where they present a threat to public safety. If so, call 911, and your local law enforcement agency will be dispatched.
• If no threat to public safety, please call the Department of Public Works at 454-2160 to report the finding and request removal (unincorporated areasof the county.)
• If within Santa Cruz city limits - contact the City Department of Public Works at 831-420-5160 to report.

-image via Take Back Santa Cruz