INJECTING ROOM SYRINGE 'STUNT'

A bin full of exposed syringes was planted near a Kings Cross
injecting clinic to discredit the centre, its medical director says.

A Sydney newspaper today published photographs of about 100
"potentially deadly blood-tainted needles" dumped near the clinic and
called for the centre to be shut down.

"It's been said before, but it needs to be said again and again until
it is done - this place needs to be shut down now," said the Daily
Telegraph newspaper in an editorial.

But Dr Ingrid van Beek, who heads the Sydney Medically Supervised
Injecting Centre, said the syringes did not belong to the centre.

"It would appear likely to be a stunt," Dr van Beek said.

"None of the many syringes had actually been used. They had been
taken out of their packets, the caps were removed, and they were
strewn on top of a garbage bin.

"There were no traces of blood or drugs in any of the syringes. They
were most certainly not syringes used by drug users.

"They were also not the brand of syringes distributed in this area."

The needle bins used by the service were indoors and emptied twice a
week by a specialist waste management company, Dr van Beek said.

"About 220 people use the service every day. How would closing the
service improve the situation as far as needles on the streets?"

NSW opposition leader Peter Debnam, who has previously called for the
closure of the injecting room, held a press conference on the back of
the Telegraph's revelations earlier today.

He denied the conference was knee-jerk reaction to the story and said
he had no information about its veracity.

"I'm aware some people are questioning the Telegraph story today,
that's not an issue I have any information on at all.

" ... I'm [discussing injection rooms] today because it's another
opportunity for me to repeat my opposition to a tax-payer funded
injecting room."

He said the establishment of the rooms "defied common sense".

"What we should do now is close it, transfer those funds to treatment
of drug addicts, and also get a reassurance from the Premier that no
other injecting rooms will be opened up in any other suburbs."

The injecting room opened in 2001 and is funded by the State
Government with money seized from criminals.

The program has also attracted criticism from some local
businesspeople, who claim it attracts drug dealers.

However, a recent survey showed about three-quarters of Kings Cross
residents supported the centre, and police say there is no evidence
it contributes to crime.

"There is nothing to indicate that the centre is anything but good
for the area," Kings Cross Local Area Commander Mark Murdoch said this month.