A Walmart worker has an urgent PSA for any customer who uses public bathrooms.
Walmart worker Devan’s (@601devan) TikTok has received over 190,000 views.
To start his video, Devan sits in his car in his Walmart uniform. He seems to have just gotten off of a work shift. He adds an on-screen caption that says his message is a “PSA TO EVERYONE.”
He’s addressing “everyone,” as most people have probably used a public bathroom before.
“If you use public bathrooms, stop what you’re doing, and listen to this,” Devan says.
He notes his message will be more useful to people who use the women’s restrooms. “You’re gonna see why,” he adds.
Devan tells viewers that if they are planning on using a bathroom in a public facility, they should check inside the toilet paper dispenser first. “This is why,” he says.
In his video, Devan inserts a photo he took of a toilet paper roll in the Walmart bathroom. He points to the photo above him on the screen and says, “This right here is exactly what I’m talking about.”
The PSA
The toilet paper roll appears to have tiny, red, blood-like splotches all around the middle of the roll. “This is from needle-using junkies,” he alleges.
Devan says that these red spots appear when people stick their needles inside the material to clean them off.
“Not all of them will have little blood spots on it,” he adds. “But if you look in the toilet paper, there shouldn’t be no pin holes or anything like that.”
If someone does clean their needle on toilet paper, and it does happen to have blood on it, Devan says you will be able to tell right away.
Next, he zooms in on the picture on his screen and emphasizes that “this is what you need to look for.”
Devan mentions that he has only seen this happen in person about once or twice. In 2019, it was reported that a Walmart shopper found “red marks all over” a toilet paper roll in the bathroom.
“Check your toilet paper before you sit down and use the bathroom,” he says. “Or just bring wipes or your own.”
@601.devan Everyone needs to be aware of this‼️ #fyp #foryourpage #foryou #xyzcba ♬ original sound – Devan
The Daily Dot reached out to request a comment from Devan via the TikTok comment section and direct message. We also reached out to Walmart via media contact form.
“Thanks for the advice!!” one viewer said. “How scary simple things like toilet paper can be a hazard.”
“Never would have thought of that! Thank you soooo much for the heads up,” another said.
What experts say
The CDC states that a consequence of a blood-borne infection, specifically from a person who injects drugs, may include “viral hepatitis, HIV, and bacterial and fungal infections.”
Similarly, according to the New York Post, if you are using toilet paper to clean yourself, “all it takes is one tiny drop of blood to enter your system” to be at risk of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B or C infections.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adds that drug-related infections can survive in a single drop of blood “for weeks and still be capable of causing infection.”
If you find tiny marks in the toilet paper of a public restroom, it’s best to get out and alert someone as fast as possible.
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