INJECTION CLINIC FIRST FOR CITY

AUSTRALIA'S first hospital-style heroin injection clinic is about to open in
Melbourne.

The $400,000 Lonsdale St clinic will be operated by Wesley Central Mission
from early next year.

A year-long trial is planned, after two deaths and a series of overdoses on
church property.

The clinic aims to cut overdose rates and ease heroin-related problems faced
by city residents and traders.

The Herald Sun has been given an exclusive look at the premises, which will
offer trained medical care, security, coffee and food, shower and laundry
facilities.

A nurse in a security-controlled room will able to monitor up to six drug
users injecting at a time.

News of the clinic comes a day after the Vatican intervened to stop Catholic
nuns running a heroin injecting room in Sydney.

Premier Steve Bracks – a Catholic – will ignore the Vatican and go ahead
with five heroin facilities in Victoria. But he is yet to formally back the
Wesley plan.

Only "chaotic" users will be allowed to use the clinic, which will be
abandoned if the trial fails.

Children will not be allowed on the premises.

Wesley is exasperated by the extent of the heroin problem, with its grounds
now a refuge for users.

Up to 60 inject there each day, ranging from a boy, 10, to a man, 70, who
uses a walking stick.

Wesley workers were shocked recently to see a pregnant woman injecting into
veins in her stomach and have sent seven users to detox in the past three weeks.

The Herald Sun is also aware of a boy, 7, being treated elsewhere in the
city by social workers after using heroin.

Wesley superintendent Timothy Langley said: "We are already running a health
clinic, but it's outside and in a dusty carpark. We are already treating
people, but in the wrong circumstances."

The clinic will be Premier Bracks' first big policy test, after he publicly
backed injecting rooms.

It will be ready for use next month, but Mr Langley wants talks first with
the new Labor Government.

"We want a spirit of co-operation to avert this human tragedy among our
young and not so young," he said.

Mr Bracks explained yesterday why he supported trials of heroin injection
clinics.

"I believe it will get drugs off the streets," he said.

Wesley is anxious to gain official support but will push ahead with the
clinic regardless.

It has received legal advice from Robert Richter, QC, that police can simply
extend the drug diversionary policy to legalise the premises.

VicHealth chief Dr Rob Moodie has agreed to fund a survey to determine the
effects of the clinic on residents, traders and users once the facility is
operating.

The clinic will include:

A NEEDLE exchange and a room for doctors to consult patients.

A CAFE-style lounge-room offering users food and coffee.

LAUNDRY facilities for users to wash and dry their clothes.

AN INDUSTRIAL shower for patients.

TIGHT security inside and outside the building.

CONSTANT nursing care and follow-up counselling to help users quit heroin.

Mr Bracks will be invited to open the clinic, but a spokeswoman said the
government would not act until there was full consultation between all
parties involved.

The Herald Sun understands Mr Bracks is privately unsure how to deal with
the potentially explosive fallout from the move – despite backing five
safe-injecting facilities during the election campaign.

Dr Robert Haimmig, of the University of Bern in Switzerland, has been
guiding the Wesley project, which has the full support of the central
mission's board.

Mr Langley said there would be strict controls on the way clients would be
assessed and only hard-core drug users would be considered.

"This is about helping the people who can't help themselves," he said.

"Getting them back on their feet so they don't harm themselves and others."