Local residents have expressed disappointment at the state government's decision to refuse to set up a supervised drug injection room in the CBD, but others, including traders, say they are expressing relief.
The proposal, which was supposed to provide a safe and supervised drug injection centre, comes after the government admitted it was unable to “identify an appropriate location that balances the needs of drug users with the needs of the wider CBD community”. abolished by the government.
Instead, the government plans to establish a community health center at 244 Flinders Street, bringing together GPs, counselors, medical professionals and addiction treatment specialists, and expanding drug treatment.
The Victorian Police Association and businesses who spoke to CBD News welcomed the decision, but supporters of such facilities, including the Keep Our City Alive (KOCA) group, said: “The announcement does not go far enough. “It's a quick fix,” he said. It's a broader issue. ”
But David Malaspina, owner of Pellegrini's Espresso Bar, said that while he was not opposed to building an injection room, the proposed Bourke Street site would have been inappropriate.
“Common sense prevails and we should look for a better location,” he told CBD News. “The community talks to us and we tell them that's not what the community wants. I don't understand how it could be considered in the beautiful, high end of the city.”
“We are neither for nor against injection rooms. We were against the proposed location,” Malaspina said, pointing to the unfortunate lack of consultation.
“(The location) affects traders, it affects residents, it affects everyone who visits the city.”
Asked if he supports a new community health center, Malaspina said he hopes “help will be available to everyone who needs it.”
Mark Locher, owner of Waffle On on Degraves Street, said he was relieved by the news, but hopes there are other ways to help people who use drugs.
“We're not against injection rooms. They're lost, so we have to do something for them,” he said.
Mr Locher said Flinders Street was not an appropriate location as it was one of the busiest areas for tourists and visitors.
The number of heroin-related deaths in Melbourne rose from nine in 2021 to 24 in 2022, according to a Victorian Coroner's Court report. This is the highest annual heroin-related death rate in a decade, compared to the previous high of 16. 2014.
The rise in death rates was not limited to Melbourne, with heroin overdoses increasing by 33% across the state (from 173 to 230).
Professor Suzanne Nielsen, opioid expert and deputy director of the Monash Center for Addiction Research, said there was an urgent need to expand the range of effective harm reduction interventions, including supervised injection facilities.
“This is particularly true with respect to the threat of high-potency opioids such as Nitazen being detected in Australia,” she said.
“It's a false dichotomy that we're choosing between supervised injection rooms and treatments. We urgently need to increase both.”
Dr Olivia Ball, a Melbourne city councilor, former psychologist and council health and welfare spokesperson, said: “Safe injecting rooms are essential, especially in settings where the synthetic opioids already on the market in Australia are largely untouched. The evidence is clear that it is necessary.” It's much more dangerous than heroin. ”
“Melbourne City Council has repeatedly called on the state government to launch overdose prevention services (also known as supervised injections) in the city of Melbourne,” she said.
“Our city currently has the highest opioid overdose death rate in the country. On average, someone dies every two weeks in Melbourne. And surviving an uncontrolled overdose can lead to The risks of injury and the costs to individuals and society are enormous.”
Dr. Ball passed a motion at last November's City Council meeting calling on the state government to improve access to naloxone, the drug that reverses overdoses. In April, the government announced it would trial naloxone in 20 vending machines alongside a needle exchange program.
Dr Stan Capp, head of residents' group EastEnders, said he stood by his comments made in 2021 that “there is no doubt that supervised injection services will minimize harm to users”.
“Ironically, the mere absence of injecting services will not alleviate the fears of some residents and businesses, as drug users continue to remain on the streets in unsafe injecting environments, at least not with injecting rooms. “It would have created a safer space,” he said.
Residents 3000 chairman Raf Camilo welcomed the state government's decision to refuse to allow injection rooms, but warned the new Flinders Street health center “could become a Trojan horse”. I was concerned.
“With a waiting list of more than four months, this money should be spent working with city councils and the state on rehabilitation beds in mental health facilities and hospitals,” he said.
Rather than funneling money directly to unaccountable nonprofits, we need a partnership with Congress, states, and hospitals to focus on people who are in turmoil and awaiting rehabilitation.
Mayor Sally Capp said the council welcomed the government's “state-wide response to a state-wide problem.”
“The announcement of a dedicated and comprehensive approach to long-term health and social support will bring positive change to the lives of many more people,” she said.
“Speculation about a second injection room is creating uncertainty for traders, residents and workers in the city. We now have a resolution to Ken Lay’s report and have progress towards improving the health and well-being of people.”
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Paul Guerra said the state government's decision had a “realistic and respectful outcome”.
“As a caring and inclusive business community, we want to ensure that vulnerable groups are taken care of. This will also have a positive impact on the atmosphere and perception of safety in our city,” he said. said.
“No business wants to have an injecting room on their doorstep, but I think we can all agree that something needs to be done to address drug use in the CBD.”
Alcohol and Drugs Council of Victoria CEO Chris Christoforou welcomed the announcement of the state-wide action plan, which would “advance the CBD MSIR (medically supervised injection rooms)”. “It was bittersweet considering that the decision not to do so offset life-saving innovation.”
But he praised the government for its efforts to test hydromorphone, including “increasing access to naloxone, which plays a protective role in the event of an increase in fentanyl and other powerful synthetic opioids.” said. •
