SAFE INJECTION SITE WORKING DOWN UNDER

To the editor:

Your correspondent Elvey Martin completely misses the point of medically
supervised injecting rooms. ("Taxpayers won't go for safe injection sites
without treatment," Jan. 6)

Expecting areas where the services are offered to become drug-free, and for
this to be the criteria for the success of the endeavour, is both irrational
and unbelievable.

The main benefits of these sites are:

a) keeping people alive

b) removing syringes and drug paraphernalia from public places

c) people with no present access to treatment have contact with health and
social workers.

In the first 18 months of the Kings Cross MSIC in Sydney, Australia, the
following outcomes were achieved: 3,818 people had contact with health
workers; 1,400 people were referred to other treatment; 424 overdoses on
site were managed with no fatalities

I would say this was an unqualified success and, incidentally, the Sydney
facility is funded by the confiscated assets of drug dealers.

Tony Trimingham,
Family Drug Support
Willoughby, NSW, Australia