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| Victoria approves safe injecting room trial after spate of heroin deaths | Victoria approves safe injecting room trial after spate of heroin deaths |
| (3 months later) | |
| Premier reverses government’s opposition to harm-minimisation approach as proposed North Richmond centre set to be second of its kind in Australia | |
| Calla Wahlquist | |
| Mon 30 Oct 2017 21.59 GMT | |
| Last modified on Mon 30 Oct 2017 23.08 GMT | |
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| The Victorian government has approved a two-year trial of a safe injecting room in North Richmond in the wake of a reported increase in heroin-related deaths in the Melbourne suburb. | The Victorian government has approved a two-year trial of a safe injecting room in North Richmond in the wake of a reported increase in heroin-related deaths in the Melbourne suburb. |
| It will be the second safe injecting room in Australia after the Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre in Kings Cross, which was established in 2001 and saw an 80% reduction in ambulance call-outs over 10 years. | It will be the second safe injecting room in Australia after the Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre in Kings Cross, which was established in 2001 and saw an 80% reduction in ambulance call-outs over 10 years. |
| The premier, Daniel Andrews, announced the trial alongside the housing and mental health minister, Martin Foley, on Tuesday, reversing his government’s former opposition to injecting rooms in favour of a “harm minimisation” approach. | The premier, Daniel Andrews, announced the trial alongside the housing and mental health minister, Martin Foley, on Tuesday, reversing his government’s former opposition to injecting rooms in favour of a “harm minimisation” approach. |
| “This is a change in policy, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s a change that’s needed,” Andrews told reporters. “We have the highest heroin death toll since 2000.” | “This is a change in policy, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s a change that’s needed,” Andrews told reporters. “We have the highest heroin death toll since 2000.” |
| The latest suspected heroin overdose took place just metres from the premier’s press conference. Ambulance Victoria confirmed it was called to a suspected overdose in North Richmond while Andrews was making the announcement. | The latest suspected heroin overdose took place just metres from the premier’s press conference. Ambulance Victoria confirmed it was called to a suspected overdose in North Richmond while Andrews was making the announcement. |
| Foley told the ABC that cabinet approved the bill after reviewing submissions to a parliamentary inquiry into a private member’s bill proposed by Australian Sex party leader Fiona Patten, which were overwhelmingly positive. | Foley told the ABC that cabinet approved the bill after reviewing submissions to a parliamentary inquiry into a private member’s bill proposed by Australian Sex party leader Fiona Patten, which were overwhelmingly positive. |
| “We know that the facts around this are clear,” Foley said. “The number of Victorians dying from overdoses has doubled since 2012. More Victorians now lose their lives because of drug overdoses than they do on our roads.” | “We know that the facts around this are clear,” Foley said. “The number of Victorians dying from overdoses has doubled since 2012. More Victorians now lose their lives because of drug overdoses than they do on our roads.” |
| Patten said the trial was “great news”. | Patten said the trial was “great news”. |
| “A number of people have died this year, so it’s bittersweet news for those families,” she told Guardian Australia. | “A number of people have died this year, so it’s bittersweet news for those families,” she told Guardian Australia. |
| The proposed trial will be based at North Richmond Community Health Centre, which has been lobbying for the trial for several years. It has run a methadone program and a needle exchange for two decades. | The proposed trial will be based at North Richmond Community Health Centre, which has been lobbying for the trial for several years. It has run a methadone program and a needle exchange for two decades. |
| It’s understood the injecting room would be housed within the centre as part of an integrated health service, rather than managed as a drop-in centre, which is expected to give people using the centre greater access to support services. | It’s understood the injecting room would be housed within the centre as part of an integrated health service, rather than managed as a drop-in centre, which is expected to give people using the centre greater access to support services. |
| That’s a significant difference from the Kings Cross model, where drug users have to be referred elsewhere for health services. | That’s a significant difference from the Kings Cross model, where drug users have to be referred elsewhere for health services. |
| “I think this will be a very effective model to help keep these people safe and try and put them on a path to recovery,” Patten said. | “I think this will be a very effective model to help keep these people safe and try and put them on a path to recovery,” Patten said. |
| The Greens health spokeswoman, Colleen Hartland, said the announcement was a welcome first step. | The Greens health spokeswoman, Colleen Hartland, said the announcement was a welcome first step. |
| “Richmond residents and businesses have campaigned hard for this result and deserve a huge amount of credit,” Hartland said. “This community led calls for sensible and evidence-based drugs policies, while tragic events played out on their streets daily.” | “Richmond residents and businesses have campaigned hard for this result and deserve a huge amount of credit,” Hartland said. “This community led calls for sensible and evidence-based drugs policies, while tragic events played out on their streets daily.” |
| North Richmond Health Centre’s chief executive, Demos Krouskos, criticised successive Victorian governments in February for a “catastrophic failure of public policy in relation to heroin-related deaths” after the state coroner’s recommendation of a safe injecting room was rejected. | North Richmond Health Centre’s chief executive, Demos Krouskos, criticised successive Victorian governments in February for a “catastrophic failure of public policy in relation to heroin-related deaths” after the state coroner’s recommendation of a safe injecting room was rejected. |
| There were 190 heroin-related deaths in Victoria in 2016, up from 173 deaths in 2015. It’s the highest number of heroin-related deaths since the 1990s. | There were 190 heroin-related deaths in Victoria in 2016, up from 173 deaths in 2015. It’s the highest number of heroin-related deaths since the 1990s. |
| Twenty of the deaths in 2015, and 18 of those in 2016, occurred in the City of Yarra, the local government area that includes North Richmond. | Twenty of the deaths in 2015, and 18 of those in 2016, occurred in the City of Yarra, the local government area that includes North Richmond. |
| An investigation by the coroner’s office found that almost half of all fatal heroin overdoses that occurred outside the home have occurred in the City of Yarra. Of those, two-thirds were of people who lived outside the area, suggesting people travel to the City of Yarra to purchase and inject heroin. | An investigation by the coroner’s office found that almost half of all fatal heroin overdoses that occurred outside the home have occurred in the City of Yarra. Of those, two-thirds were of people who lived outside the area, suggesting people travel to the City of Yarra to purchase and inject heroin. |
| “Investing in new harm-reduction strategies in the City of Yarra to address this serious public health issue will reduce overdose risk among vulnerable drug-using members of the community well beyond the City of Yarra’s borders,” coroner Audrey Jamieson wrote in findings following the death of a 39-year-old man who fatally overdosed behind a block of bins in North Richmond last year. | “Investing in new harm-reduction strategies in the City of Yarra to address this serious public health issue will reduce overdose risk among vulnerable drug-using members of the community well beyond the City of Yarra’s borders,” coroner Audrey Jamieson wrote in findings following the death of a 39-year-old man who fatally overdosed behind a block of bins in North Richmond last year. |
| “If a safe injecting facility can shift drug injecting from public locations to a clinically supervised environment, this would be hoped to lessen the traumatic impact of injecting drug use and overdose and death on local residents who are exposed to these activities in their everyday life.” | “If a safe injecting facility can shift drug injecting from public locations to a clinically supervised environment, this would be hoped to lessen the traumatic impact of injecting drug use and overdose and death on local residents who are exposed to these activities in their everyday life.” |
| Former premier Jeff Kennett will oversee an expert panel to monitor the program once it is up and running. | Former premier Jeff Kennett will oversee an expert panel to monitor the program once it is up and running. |
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