Mum's dangerous find at children's playground reveals 'frightening' trend

A mum's discovery of syringes at her local park this week is the latest incident in a "daunting" trend sweeping the nation, with more and more Aussies being exposed to the dangerous items in public spaces.

Jessica Natasha intended to kick a footy around with her four young sons near the Loam Island boat ramp in Townsville on Wednesday when she spotted a heap of rubbish on the ground, among which were the syringes.

"I felt sick to my stomach," she told Yahoo News. "We moved to another location... I was very on edge watching where I stepped and looking around the ground feeling worried there was more."

It's not the first time the family have had a close call with a syringe in a public space, with one of Jessica's sons unknowingly "sitting next to" a syringe at another local park recently.

"I feel very disappointed and sad I have to feel like this taking my four boys out as they love adventures," she said. "It's not acceptable... people are at risk of stepping on them and catching diseases."

Aussies continue to find syringes in public spaces

There have been many reports from Aussies saying they've found syringes in public spaces, and alarmingly, the discoveries have often been close to where children play, such as at playgrounds and parks.

In October syringes were found at a popular playground on the Sunshine Coast and later more were discovered at a playground in Cairns, with the sharp objects often found discarded on the ground among leaves or rubbish, making them difficult to spot.

One young boy was even found holding a syringe with the needle still intact at a park in western Sydney in 2020, with his mum left feeling "a whole wave of anger".

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Expert warns syringe issue is reaching 'frightening' heights

The issue continues to grow to "frightening" heights, Jerry Cook told Yahoo News. He is the Director of National Trauma and Crime Scene Cleaning — a company that specialises in cleaning up dangerous items from public spaces, as well as crime scenes across the country. He said his team get weekly calls about syringes being left in public places.

"We probably get a phone call at least once a week, so 52 times a year, where it's either in a park or on a footpath or in front of shops or somewhere like that," he explained. "It's quite frightening, and it's quite daunting to what's happening and how regular it is happening.

He believes those using the syringes simply have a lack of regard for public safety and the issue is "getting beyond a joke" now. He urges anyone who comes across syringes to "get the children away" and ring the local council.

"Ring the council and explain to them exactly where it is and what it is," he urged.

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