Church-run heroin injecting centre in Australia a success

[BA]

SYDNEY (AP) - A church-run heroin injecting centre in Sydney's red-light district has saved lives and taken addicts off the streets, said an independent report published Wednesday. But Australia's prime minister scathingly condemned the project.

At the centre, run by a branch of the Protestant Uniting Church, drug addicts inject themselves under the supervision of medical staff trained and equipped to treat overdoses and provide counselling. The addicts bring their own heroin, but the centre's services are free of charge.

The Medically Supervised Injecting Centre in Sydney's notorious Kings Cross nightlife district was set up as a trial project in May 2001 by the New South Wales state government. It sparked protests from anti-drug campaigners and some conservative groups.

The report said the centre had helped save lives and reduce crime.

Prime Minister John Howard condemned the project, saying the state government would get no co-operation from his conservative federal administration.

"I've never supported heroin trials and I've never supported heroin injecting rooms and this government never will," he told reporters.

Supporters have argued the centre would reduce overdoses, educate users, increase treatment and improve the seedy street scene in Australia's best-known red-light district. Opponents have said it would encourage drug abuse and crime.

A recent report - by a committee of five people including health and rehabilitation experts and the head of the state's crime research bureau - found that the centre had treated more than 300 drug overdoses with no fatalities.

The report said drug-related crime in the area fell, and recommended the centre continue operating on a monitored trial basis.

"This is the biggest good news story in the last 10 years," said Lee Rhiannon, a Greens Party legislator in New South Wales' parliament. He called on the government to open more centres throughout the state.

State government minister John Della Bosca said he would urge authorities to continue the trial.

Similar officially sanctioned injecting rooms operate in other countries, including the Netherlands and Switzerland, but Sydney's so-called "shooting gallery" is Australia's first.

The report said there were 56,861 visits to the centre with an average of 15 visits for each of the 3,810 registered clients. Heroin was taken by 61 per cent of users, and cocaine by 30 per cent. Other drugs made up the rest.

The centre made 1,385 written referrals for clients for treatment and counselling. Nearly 300 were confirmed to have been followed through.


story link
MIKE CORDER
Canadian Press
7-9-2003

 

[rm-rf]

i dont think this should come to a surprise to any REAL members of the christian faith. Jesus hung out with prostitutes, murderers, theives, drunkards, tax collectors (viewed along the same level as druggies are back then), and other such unscrupulous types. i think a church based safe injection site is a great thing.

The report said the centre had helped save lives and reduce crime.

how can u say its a bad thing?

 

[Flexistentialist]

^^Good point^^

Its a shame that the Catholic Church doesn't agree. This injecting room in Sydney was originally to be run by the Sisters of Charity (part of the Roman Catholic Church) until Rome put a stop to it, mainly because they feared bad publicity in other parts of the world.

It caused quite a scandal here when they gave the order for the nuns to pull out. Read more about it here.

 

[rm-rf]

^ ive come to the conclusion that Catholicism was invented by Lucifer to sway the population from God. No offense to any catholics! :-D

 

[thccrystals]

Any one remember needle park? that was a horrible failure. Anyone that uses heroin is a f'n loser and should either kick that shit or be arrested, not shot up in a church for CHRIST'S sake.

 

[rm-rf]

^ someone needs to inject you with a heavy dose of reality and a small amount of it's synergetic partner logic

 

[BA]

So what happens when someone OD's on this shit, and they did it at the church? Would the church be held liable because they permitted the injections? Sure it's "supervised" but who knows what the used did BEFORE they went inside the building?

 

[Flexistentialist]

There's medical staff on hand to deal with exactly that issue.

Its not like people could just walk on in and have a shot there. You have to register first, and there are a range of exclusions and conditions. For more info on how it works, check out this thread in Aus DD.

Would / have you used an injecting room?

 

[Winterborn]

Hmm.. its hard to say.

Yes it has shown some good figures- but the reaosn why it will never go ahead is they cant comment too accurately about how it supports and encourages drug addiction.

Personally, I think the trial should run a bit longer before they consider expanding it to other areas.

Perhaps also doing some research to see if this prevented any of the addicts form attempting to quit-it.

Edit: Spelling

 

[LinZ-E]

This is good to read. Not something that will happen in the U.S. anytime soon, but good to read other countries are taking steps to help users with their addiction and sterilization. Harm reduction, or so I thought, is a main goal with government policy, and this *appears* to be doing so. Good for AU to take these steps to help people, because, yes, drug users are people too (much to the dismay of some politicians).
Yes, maybe the trial should consider running longer and then better evidence can be given so that different locations may practice this technique...the longer the runnind and less death due to overdoses and crimes, the better.
Definitely a good thing, I believe.