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Americans Discard 7.8 Billion Home-Generated Needles Every Year

Americans Discard 7.8 Billion Home-Generated Needles Every Year

Date: June 23, 2021

Data from the Coalition for Safe Community Needle Disposal indicates that 13.5 million people in the United States are discarding 7.8 billion used sharps outside the traditional healthcare setting each year. As a healthcare professional we know many people do not properly dispose used sharps. These improperly disposed sharps may cause dangerous accidental needle sticks to people and pets and can spread infections that cause serious health conditions. The importance of safer disposal solutions will continue to be needed as the number of home-generated sharps is expected to triple in the next 10 years due to the increase in age of the U.S. population and prevalence of diabetes requiring treatment by insulin injections, and pharmaceutical treatments delivered by injection.

The number of Americans with diabetes is projected to double or triple by 2050. The older, more diverse population and longer lifespans contribute to the increase. As many as 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 if the current trend continues, according to an analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As the incidence of diabetes continues to increase in the U.S., so do the number of people administering at-home testing and injections. The injection devices used to manage diabetes may include needles, syringes, auto injectors, lancets, and infusion sets—proper containment and disposal of these sharps is vital to the safety of our families and communities. As a long-standing leader in sharps life cycle management, UltiMed focuses on the environmental impact throughout the entire product life cycle. Our patented and proprietary UltiGuard® Safe Pack is the only all-in-one solution to conveniently dispense and safely contain sharps, all in one convenient, easy-to-use system. And the Safe Pack is compliant with sharps disposal guidelines in all 50 states.

Click to learn more about UltiGuard Safe Pack.

Click to learn more about Safe Needle Disposal Guidelines for your community.

Click to download a printable PDF with Sharps Disposal Guidelines by state.

Source: https://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/10/prweb8871837.htm

Source: https://archive.cdc.gov/#/deta...

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