Homegenerated hypodermic needles, or sharps, are forbidden in waste containers beginning Sept. 1, when a new law takes effect.

All home-generated sharps waste must be transported in an approved sharps container and disposed of a hazardous waste facility, medical waste generator facility, or a facility managed as part of a mail-back program.

With the new law, California became one of the first states in the nation to ban sharps waste from the residential waste stream.

Surveys show that more than 3-billion needles and syringes used by self-injectors end up in trash or recycling containers, or are flushed down toilets. This improper disposal puts sanitation workers and the public at risk of needle sticks and serious infections. The new law will prohibit needles in any household waste, including recycling or green waste bins.

More than 9million Americans legally self-inject each year to treat numerous conditions, including diabetes, hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, infertility, and allergies. With advances in healthcare and the desire of patients to receive medical care in their homes, there is a rise in the legal use of self-injected drugs.

To date, several cities in California participate in sharps mail-back programs including, Santa Ana, Laguna Beach and Mission Viejo. These programs provide individuals with a safe and convenient way of disposing of used hypodermic needles via a postage-prepaid shipping container delivered safely by the U.S. Postal Service to a certified medical waste facility, where it is destroyed.

To find a location to properly dispose of home-generated sharps, go to the California Integrated Waste Management Board's Medical Waste Disposal Directory www.ciwmb.ca.gov/HHW/ HealthCare/Collection/.

For information on sharps, go to www.ciwmb.ca.gov/ HHW/Sharps.