News (Media Awareness Project) - Australia: Injection Of Reality |
| Title: | Australia: Injection Of Reality |
| Published On: | 2000-04-26 |
| Source: | Herald Sun (Australia) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-04 20:18:50 |
INJECTION OF REALITY
FIONA HUDSON finds lessons for Victoria in efforts to open Australia's
first centre for drug taking
A DISUSED pinball parlor in Sydney's Kings Cross may hold the key to
the success of Victoria's heroin trials.
The former video arcade and fast-food outlet is likely to become
Australia's first heroin injecting centre.
Operators say the Kings Cross drug room will open in July, well before
the Bracks Government introduces its legislation.
It will be managed by the Uniting Church's Board for Social
Responsibility -- if it ever opens.
Opponents have already delayed the project and are considering a
Supreme Court challenge to stop it completely.
Whether it goes ahead or not, the battle over the building in Sydneys
seedy heartland holds some valuable lessons.
The Rev. Harry Herbert, of the Uniting Church, said the most important
lesson was to get the right site.
"That is the single biggest issue that has to be resolved with
injecting rooms," he said.
Mr Herbert said he was alarmed to hear the comments of Victorias Drug
Policy Expert Committee chairman, Professor David Penington, who has
ruled shops and residential areas as no-go zones for the Victorian
trials.
"Where are they going to put them, on Mars or something?" Mr Herbert
said.
"The reality is, they have to be in an area drug users frequent,
somewhere they hang out already.
"Drug users aren't going to hike out to an isolated industrial estate
... it's not going to happen."
Mr Herbert started with a list of 36 potential sites, which were
quickly whittled down to one.
"Residential sites were very hard to sell to anyone. We gave that away
pretty quickly," he said.
Instead, the church board chose the old pinball parlor.
It is here Mr Herbert learned the next vital lesson: consult the
community properly.
A lack of public support has proved the key sticking point for the
Kings Cross trial.
There is acceptance among locals that an injecting room is
needed.
About 20 per cent of all heroin overdose deaths in New South Wales
occur in or near the Cross -- on average about six overdoses a week.
Resident surveys show about seven in 10 favor a drug
room.
But public support by residents and businesses was only one of several
factors considered when choosing a location.
The site owners had to pass police probity checks which, in an area as
notorious as Kings Cross, proved a headache. Then the owners had to be
persuaded to rent the building.
"Some owners simply aren't willing to rent their building so heroin
users can inject in it," Mr Herbert said.
"It's all very well finding the perfect location, but you've still got
to sign a lease."
The physical dimensions of the building were another important
consideration.
THE Kings Cross centre will have a waiting room, injecting area and
"chill-out" room.
There will also be space for drug and alcohol counsellors, and a small
cafe selling food and drinks.
"Some centres have washing machines and showers and those sorts of
facilities, but we've decided not to," Mr Herbert said.
Staff at the centre, which will open about seven hours a day, seven
days a week, will include three nurses. three drug workers, a medical
director and security.
"Staffing it was the easy bit," Mr Herbert said.
Up to 200 users a day are expected to inject at the centres
stainless-steel "work stations".
First-time centre users will spend about 15 minutes filling out a
questionnaire before being issued with free syringes.
The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, the Institute of
Criminology and other researchers will use information collected to
report on the trial.
"We'll be scrupulous during the period of the trial." Mr Herbert
said.
"We'll have some sort of registration system ... we don't want them
shooting up again too soon and overdosing."
Users will be asked to help keep the community on side by not buying
drugs from dealers near the building.
Police have said they will not order extra officers to patrol the
strip, and officers will go inside the building only if invited.
"The purpose of this trial isn't to wipe out drugs. We're just trying
it to save lives," Mr Herbert said.
"It's impossible to guarantee that problems won't arise, but we think
we can resolve any problems quickly.
"The rest of Australia will be watching . . . and we hope everyone can
learn something from it."
FIONA HUDSON finds lessons for Victoria in efforts to open Australia's
first centre for drug taking
A DISUSED pinball parlor in Sydney's Kings Cross may hold the key to
the success of Victoria's heroin trials.
The former video arcade and fast-food outlet is likely to become
Australia's first heroin injecting centre.
Operators say the Kings Cross drug room will open in July, well before
the Bracks Government introduces its legislation.
It will be managed by the Uniting Church's Board for Social
Responsibility -- if it ever opens.
Opponents have already delayed the project and are considering a
Supreme Court challenge to stop it completely.
Whether it goes ahead or not, the battle over the building in Sydneys
seedy heartland holds some valuable lessons.
The Rev. Harry Herbert, of the Uniting Church, said the most important
lesson was to get the right site.
"That is the single biggest issue that has to be resolved with
injecting rooms," he said.
Mr Herbert said he was alarmed to hear the comments of Victorias Drug
Policy Expert Committee chairman, Professor David Penington, who has
ruled shops and residential areas as no-go zones for the Victorian
trials.
"Where are they going to put them, on Mars or something?" Mr Herbert
said.
"The reality is, they have to be in an area drug users frequent,
somewhere they hang out already.
"Drug users aren't going to hike out to an isolated industrial estate
... it's not going to happen."
Mr Herbert started with a list of 36 potential sites, which were
quickly whittled down to one.
"Residential sites were very hard to sell to anyone. We gave that away
pretty quickly," he said.
Instead, the church board chose the old pinball parlor.
It is here Mr Herbert learned the next vital lesson: consult the
community properly.
A lack of public support has proved the key sticking point for the
Kings Cross trial.
There is acceptance among locals that an injecting room is
needed.
About 20 per cent of all heroin overdose deaths in New South Wales
occur in or near the Cross -- on average about six overdoses a week.
Resident surveys show about seven in 10 favor a drug
room.
But public support by residents and businesses was only one of several
factors considered when choosing a location.
The site owners had to pass police probity checks which, in an area as
notorious as Kings Cross, proved a headache. Then the owners had to be
persuaded to rent the building.
"Some owners simply aren't willing to rent their building so heroin
users can inject in it," Mr Herbert said.
"It's all very well finding the perfect location, but you've still got
to sign a lease."
The physical dimensions of the building were another important
consideration.
THE Kings Cross centre will have a waiting room, injecting area and
"chill-out" room.
There will also be space for drug and alcohol counsellors, and a small
cafe selling food and drinks.
"Some centres have washing machines and showers and those sorts of
facilities, but we've decided not to," Mr Herbert said.
Staff at the centre, which will open about seven hours a day, seven
days a week, will include three nurses. three drug workers, a medical
director and security.
"Staffing it was the easy bit," Mr Herbert said.
Up to 200 users a day are expected to inject at the centres
stainless-steel "work stations".
First-time centre users will spend about 15 minutes filling out a
questionnaire before being issued with free syringes.
The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, the Institute of
Criminology and other researchers will use information collected to
report on the trial.
"We'll be scrupulous during the period of the trial." Mr Herbert
said.
"We'll have some sort of registration system ... we don't want them
shooting up again too soon and overdosing."
Users will be asked to help keep the community on side by not buying
drugs from dealers near the building.
Police have said they will not order extra officers to patrol the
strip, and officers will go inside the building only if invited.
"The purpose of this trial isn't to wipe out drugs. We're just trying
it to save lives," Mr Herbert said.
"It's impossible to guarantee that problems won't arise, but we think
we can resolve any problems quickly.
"The rest of Australia will be watching . . . and we hope everyone can
learn something from it."
Member Comments |
No member comments available...
