DRUG USERS TO RUE THE NEW BLUE HUE IN HQ'S LOOS

POLICE have installed blue lights in the public toilets of their
Brisbane headquarters to discourage intravenous drug users from
"shooting up" inside.The blue lights, which make it hard for
intravenous drug users to find a vein, were installed after a syringe
and other drug paraphernalia was found in the past.

The lights were installed in the male, female and disabled toilets on
the ground floor of headquarters in Roma Street about six weeks ago.

Next door, staff at the Magistrates Court said they had found used
syringes in bins in the public foyer and toilets.

"The cleaners have found a few, we haven't found too many lately," one
staff member said. "The female toilets have been the worst."

Police media spokesman Brian Swift stressed there had been few
attempts by people to use drugs in the police toilets, with only one
syringe being found and just one or two known attempts in the past
three years.

He said there had been no indication of drug use since the lights were
installed in the toilets, which were open to the public from 6am to
5pm.