Lifeguards at Dollymount beach in County Dublin have been issued with a dedicated sharps bin for syringes due to the volume of drugs paraphernalia that’s been found along the shoreline.

A sharps bin is a container designed for the safe disposal of sharp medical items like needles and syringes.

The latest incident reports compiled by lifeguards at Dollymount, which cover the 2022 and 2023 bathing seasons, recount a persistence of drug use and antisocial behaviour – including a man found to have overdosed in the sand dunes.

Journalist with the Irish Mirror Darragh McDonald told Lunchtime Live that logbooks obtained by the paper from as far back as 2017 detailed “frequent and serious antisocial behaviour”.

“[This included] drug taking, people having sex in public and arson,” he said.

“Now, the records also provided evidence of a persistent and troubling issue with discarded syringes at the beach and lifeguards reported having to regularly pick them up.

“Members of the public were handing them into a lifeguard hut and a number of bathers were pricked by the needles, including a pregnant woman and a young girl.”

Mr McDonald said responsibility for safely disposing of the needles would fall under the remit of Dublin City Council, while they would have joint responsibility for the anti-social behaviour along with the Gardaí.

Main image: Light breaks through dark clouds on gloomy day at Dollymount Strand beach. Image: Nicola K photos / Alamy. 14 October 2023