British Columbia

Kids reportedly playing darts with used syringes in B.C. park

Saanich Police say no one was seen touching the needles when they responded, but officers spoke with kids and parents at the scene and collected the needles for proper disposal.

No children were hurt; Saanich police collected needles for disposal after responding

Police received a call Monday saying a group of children in a Saanich, B.C., park were playing darts using discarded syringes. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

A group of children in Saanich, B.C., are lucky to have walked away unscathed after reportedly playing with used syringes they found in a local park.

Police say they responded to a call at 8:30 a.m. PT Monday from a concerned citizen at Hampton Park.

The caller said they saw a group of kids playing darts in the park — but instead of darts, the kids were throwing syringes.

Police say no one was seen touching the needles when they arrived, but officers spoke with kids and parents at the scene and collected the needles for proper disposal.

According to Island Health, discarded syringes should be handled with care while wearing work gloves.

They should be placed in a metal or hard plastic container with a lid and dropped off at an appropriate location, such as a participating pharmacy or local public health unit.

A list of drop-off locations is available at towardtheheart.com.