IDEA BEHIND INJECTING ROOM IS TO SAVE LIVES

YOUR correspondent Scott Rowell, of the Australian Federal Police
Association, asks how the proposed supervised injecting facility can
be considered "safe''? ("'Safety' of drug rooms doubted", CT, December
11, p.C4)

I don't believe that anyone thinks that injecting drugs is completely
safe, but the harm associated with drug use can be reduced which is
the whole purpose of the supervised injecting facility.

Mr Rowell is mistaken when he alleges that the establishment of the
supervised injecting facility is "pandering to the needs of society's
bullies''. What we are doing is trying to alleviate the huge economic
burden placed on the community through the spread of blood-borne
viruses and, simply put, to save lives.

He points out that the quality of the drug will not be monitored, and
that overdose is still likely. This is true, but the effects of the
overdose can be reversed with Narcan, and with medical staff on hand,
the person is far less likely to die or suffer permanent damage as a
result.

He also quite rightly points out that it is not right for him to
"point in one direction or another'', but it appears that his article
is doing exactly that. His scaremongering and misrepresentation are an
attempt to whip up yet more fear and mistrust not only of the
supervised injecting facility but towards drug users themselves.

SERA PINWILL
President, Canberra Injectors Network Inc