POLICE SUPPORT NEEDLE PROGRAM

THE message has gone out to drug users that Greater Dandenong police will
not arrest them for use of drugs if they are found carrying a new or used
syringe.

It is part of a pilot program between Dandenong police and Southern
Health's AIDS Prevention Support Unit to encourage users to properly
dispose of their needles.

Many users say they throw away syringes after use because they believe if
police find them in their possession they will be charged with use of drugs.

The program is an attempt to encourage users to responsibly dispose of used
needles.

According to the support unit's new manager, Colin Coxhead, last year the
support unit (previously called the Needle Exchange but changed for obvious
reasons) handed out more than 400,000 free syringes in Greater Dandenong
from its centre in Foster St, Dandenong and its foot patrol in Springvale.

About half were returned, and 90,000 were collected.

During a clean-up day in Springvale in July this year, volunteers collected
more than 1400 needles found in the vicinity of Springvale railway station
in the space of a couple of hours.

Mr Coxhead has been a drug worker for 27 years, working in Melbourne,
England and Scotland before coming to Greater Dandenong.

"When I was told of the low return rate of needles, I could not believe it.
When I was working in Dundee, Scotland (pop: 400,000) there were only three
discarded needles found in one year," he said.

Mr Coxhead took on the job in June and, according to Insp Ken Dainton of
Dandenong police, the return rate of needles has improved. He welcomes the
new cooperation between the health service and the police.