The LA Time Travel blog recently wrote about traveling with needles.

Basically, heroine addicts and speed shooters may want to think twice before packing up a bunch of needles in their carry on bags (checked luggage is still game though).  The reason: TSA agents tend to become pricks when they come across a few needles and you don’t have a doctor’s note. Additionally, transporting illegal drugs is often frowned upon by law enforcement agencies.

Ever since the underwear bomber tried to inject his panties with a chemical to cause an explosion, security has been a little more wary of strung out passengers carrying syringes in their luggage. Before Christmas, apparently, it didn’t matter and any one could have loaded up a bag full of needles without question.

However, legitimate users of needles such as diabetics need not worry.

According to About.com here are a few tips to remember (Major League Baseball players have also endorsed this, though they tend to fly on chartered flights):

• Carry a copy of your prescriptions in your carry-on, purse, or wallet when you travel.
• If you are taking injectable medications you must have the medication along with you in order to carry empty syringes.
• Do not remove syringes or medicines from the original packaging with printed labels and manufacturer’s information. Packaging is a good way to help airport security identify your medicines.
  
• You can ask and are entitled to a private screening to maintain your confidentiality.
• In response to security issues at your departure site and destination site, travel restrictions can change often. Arrange 2 to 3 hours before your flight in order to pass through security in plenty of time.
• With recent security concerns, the amount of liquids you are allowed to carry-on is limited and in some cases prohibited. At the time of this printing, even liquid medicines are allowed only in limited quantities.
• In some cases, the airline may ask thA e on-board staff to store your medicines and syringes during flight. Keep your medicines, syringes, and supplies together in a carry-on case or travel case to make passing them to and from the flight staff easier with less chance of losing medications or supplies.
• If traveling abroad, become familiar with the laws, restrictions, and requirements of the countries you are traveling to. The US requires all passengers to declare medicines and syringes when traveling abroad.

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Tags: drugs, needles, security, travel