Needle and Syringe Program
The NSW Government is committed to reducing the sharing of injecting equipment among people who inject drugs.
Needle and Syringe Programs (NSPs) are confidential and anonymous services, which deliver:
- provision of sterile injecting equipment
- safe disposal of used injecting equipment via community sharps bins
- provision of condoms and lubricant
- education on safer drug use and harm reduction
- access and referral to health care, and other services.
Needle and Syringe Program services are delivered by:
- Community Health Centres
- hospitals
- internal and external dispensers.
To assist you in being able to access your nearest Needle and Syringe Program service an interactive map has been developed that contains every public NSP service across NSW.
Sterile injecting equipment can also be obtained from some pharmacies. If you want to find a pharmacy near you that supplies sterile injecting equipment visit the Pharmacy Guild. Type “Needle and Syringe Service” in the search column for access to an interactive map.
Sharing or reusing other people’s needles and syringes or other injecting equipment is the most common way to get hepatitis C and also puts you at risk of HIV infection.
Community sharps are needles, syringes, pen needles, lancets and similar equipment used outside medical services, such as in homes and by people who inject drugs.
All Needle and Syringe Program services and public hospitals in NSW provide a community sharps disposal service.
Many councils provide community sharps bins for residents to dispose of sharps containers.
The community sharps management provides information about community sharps management in NSW. Community sharps are sharps that have been generated by non-clinical activities e.g., needles, syringes, and lancets.
The management of community sharps is a shared responsibility across government, council, and other organisations.
Needle Clean-Up Hotline: 1800 633 353
The Needle Clean-Up Hotline is a call centre that takes reports from the public and coordinates the clean-up of dumped needles and syringes in public places anywhere in NSW.
The hotline is staffed Monday to Friday: 9am – 4pm – with an answering machine at other times.
For support or referral to specialist services for drug and alcohol issues, please phone 1800 800 944 (free call) for Access Line.