I am someone who gulps down a lot of water even while traveling with the assurance that I will be able to use public restrooms whenever needed. However, what if you realize that they are not really safe for you, especially the toilet paper?
There has been a warning issued that if you find tiny marks on the toilet paper in public restrooms, you have to be cautious. Those specks could be where substance users stabbed to wipe their needles. If you do spot those, it would be wiser to avoid using that toilet paper!
More info: Daily Mail
Expert warns to be cautious of rolls of toilet paper in public restrooms, which might have tiny rust-colored marks on them
Image credits: technicolor94
Substance users might wipe their needles by stabbing the toilet paper, hence the marks
Imagine that you have been roaming outside all day long and keeping yourself hydrated, when suddenly you really need to use the WC. You dash inside a public restroom, but then you find that there are tiny rust-colored marks on the toilet paper, and you are not really aware of what these are. Well, let us tell you why you need to be concerned about these marks.
Research states that 48.5 million (16.7%) Americans (aged 12 and older) battled a substance use disorder in the past year. With this rising crisis of substance use, there are other problems that are also arising because of it. Apparently, quite a few people have claimed that these users wipe their needles on toilet paper rolls in public restrooms by stabbing them in!
Image credits: technicolor94
Once these claims went viral, wild rumors started firing around that the dried blood of a substance user on public bathroom toilet paper could cause HIV or the hepatitis virus. Panic rose among people as they could not really understand whether whatever they saw and heard was true or not. However, this was quickly debunked by infectious disease experts at The Body, who explained:
“Even if you touched the toilet paper and there was blood on it, you would not have been at risk for HIV. There needs to be an immediate and direct transfer of fluid for there to be a risk for HIV. For Hepatitis C, infection can occur from dry blood, BUT it still needs a way to get inside your body, which would not happen from merely touching it.”
Image credits: EyeEm / Freepik (not the actual photo)
While rumors spread that these marks could cause HIV or hepatitis, they were quickly debunked
Even Dr. Sermed Mezher made a post on Instagram where he explained that HIV and hepatitis cannot be transmitted through toilet paper because these viruses require specific conditions to survive and transmit from person to person.
However, a massive debate is afoot on whether substance users really do stab public toilet paper to wipe their needles after use. While a person did report that they experienced it in person and even uploaded the pictures, it was still scrutinized as some people labeled it an “urban legend.”
Image credits: EyeEm / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Experts are also debating the whole claim as needles might break if they are stabbed into the toilet paper rolls
While there are a lot of TikTok videos that claim this to be true, fact-checking site Snopes calls it an “unproven claim,” stating that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the NIDA both said they are not aware of it being a common practice for intravenous substance users to clean needles by stabbing them into rolls of toilet paper.
A spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Health added: “We have never heard of this. This practice seems extremely unlikely because the tip of the needle could break off if one tried to stab it through a toilet paper roll. I'm not sure why someone would risk that if what they wanted was to use the same needle for another shot.”
Image credits: lionstocks03 / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Despite everything, there’s still a debate on whether this is fact or not, as many people have shared personal experiences where they have come across these marks in public washrooms. True or not, it’s always better to be cautious, right? What are your thoughts about it? Have you ever experienced something similar? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below!
Folks online were horrified by this revelation, while some advised carrying one's own toilet paper
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Image credits: DeeBabyJay
