News (Media Awareness Project) - Australia: Injecting Room Initiative Receives Mixed Response |
| Title: | Australia: Injecting Room Initiative Receives Mixed Response |
| Published On: | 1999-07-27 |
| Source: | Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australia) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-06 01:13:35 |
INJECTING ROOM INITIATIVE RECEIVES MIXED RESPONSE
Australia's first legal heroin injecting room is to begin operating in
eastern Sydney within the next six to 12 months.
A trial of the injecting room will be part of a series of treatment and
support options, which New South Wales Premier Bob Carr describes as a
cautious reponse to the recommendations of the May Drug Summit.
The medically-supervised injecting room will be run by the Sisters of
Charity Healthcare Services and Saint Vincents hospital.
The Director of St Vincents drug and alcohol unit, Doctor Alex Wodak, say he
expects about 50,000 visits a year.
"It's not a dangerous facility its a life saving facility, let's emphasise
that," Dr Wodak said.
"We'd expect something apporaching a 100 overdoses a year would occur in the
normal course of events. Those overdoses are occurring right now in Kings
Cross which is one of the major areas for overdoses in New South Wales."
Task Force response
However, the head of the National Drugs Task Force, the Salvation Army's
Brian Watters, says it is extremely sad that amongst the positive proposals,
the Government is prepared to set up an injecting room.
Major Watters says he is also disappointed about plans to caution people
caught with small amounts of marijuana.
"We've got a national program of diversion being developed at the moment so
that if people come to the attention of the law over drug related issues
they can be diverted into treatment and into counselling and I believe
that's the way we should be going," he said.
"Either way I don't think we should be diverting people to somewhere they
can use their drugs and we shouldn't just say 'we'll give you a caution
don't do it again.'"
Regional NSW
Meanwhile, regional areas in southern New South Wales will receive extra
health and police resources, as part of the State Government's new Drug
Treatment Services Plan.
The initial round of funding will include a new counsellor and clinical
nurse, specialising in drug and alcohol addiction, and a 24 hour
detoxification service at Goulburn Jail.
Australia's first legal heroin injecting room is to begin operating in
eastern Sydney within the next six to 12 months.
A trial of the injecting room will be part of a series of treatment and
support options, which New South Wales Premier Bob Carr describes as a
cautious reponse to the recommendations of the May Drug Summit.
The medically-supervised injecting room will be run by the Sisters of
Charity Healthcare Services and Saint Vincents hospital.
The Director of St Vincents drug and alcohol unit, Doctor Alex Wodak, say he
expects about 50,000 visits a year.
"It's not a dangerous facility its a life saving facility, let's emphasise
that," Dr Wodak said.
"We'd expect something apporaching a 100 overdoses a year would occur in the
normal course of events. Those overdoses are occurring right now in Kings
Cross which is one of the major areas for overdoses in New South Wales."
Task Force response
However, the head of the National Drugs Task Force, the Salvation Army's
Brian Watters, says it is extremely sad that amongst the positive proposals,
the Government is prepared to set up an injecting room.
Major Watters says he is also disappointed about plans to caution people
caught with small amounts of marijuana.
"We've got a national program of diversion being developed at the moment so
that if people come to the attention of the law over drug related issues
they can be diverted into treatment and into counselling and I believe
that's the way we should be going," he said.
"Either way I don't think we should be diverting people to somewhere they
can use their drugs and we shouldn't just say 'we'll give you a caution
don't do it again.'"
Regional NSW
Meanwhile, regional areas in southern New South Wales will receive extra
health and police resources, as part of the State Government's new Drug
Treatment Services Plan.
The initial round of funding will include a new counsellor and clinical
nurse, specialising in drug and alcohol addiction, and a 24 hour
detoxification service at Goulburn Jail.
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