True or False: Check Toilet Paper in Public Restrooms for Dark Spots Before Using

Have you heard that startling claim that intravenous drug users, after using a needle to inject themselves, will often stick the needle into a toilet paper roll to clean off the blood and skin before packing it away for later.

Apparent photo proof comes from the Hawaii Mom Blog with a warning that everyone should check the toilet paper rolls hanging in hotel bathrooms as well as any public restroom, for blood spots and tiny stab marks.

In her blog she says she always thought it was an urban legend until she had a personal experience.

I was recently in Tulsa, and upon checking the toilet paper in both of our hotel room bathrooms, the below is what I found. Red marks on both toilet paper rolls that appear to be blood. Of course, I was disturbed and grossed out.  I immediately took the rolls off and replaced them with the unwrapped rolls (which I did check).

 

Hawaii Mom Blog also notified the staff and took pictures, and they were very apologetic.

Meanwhile, according to an Instagram post by a Dr. Sermed Mezher, if you don't check and accidentally use toilet paper with blood from a needle, if a person who lives with HIV or Hepatitis did use it to clean a needle, the viruses wouldn't survive on the toilet paper.

While TikTok videos filled with warnings are out there, according to the Ladbible several health organizations agree this is extremely unlikely because the tip of the needle would most likely break off if you tried to stab into toilet paper.