ACT Government promises to open safe injection room

The ACT Government has announced it will work towards establishing a safe injection room within the next four years. Have your say in our poll.

Two months after decriminilising small quantities of drugs, the ACT has announced plans for the territory’s first safe injecting rooms.

Canberra was the first city in Australia to decriminilise the possession of small quantities of drugs, but will now match both Sydney and Melbourne in providing supervised safe injecting rooms within the next four years.

Safe injecting rooms aim to minimise harm caused by drug use by having trained professionals supervise drug users when they administer illicit drugs.

People grappling with drug addiction are also provided with clean supplies at injection rooms to minimise health risks associated with are given supplies at injecting rooms.

The plans were released this week by ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith.

ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith says the government plans to open a safe injecting room in Canberra. Picture: Julia Kanapathippillai

Ms Stephen-Smith said the ACT Drug Strategy Action Plan 2022-2026 would focus on expanding peer support services for people dealing with drug and alcohol addiction.

This would explore ways to formalise qualifications for peer support work.

The health Minister also said the government planned to establish a “multidisciplinary service” for young people affected by drug and alcohol use alongside trauma, disability and mental health issues.

Safe injection rooms aim to minimise the harm of drug use. Picture: David Swift

She said the plan would include a review into ACT laws into online liquor sales and delivery services.

“The ACT Government has very strong relationships with the alcohol and other drug sector,” she said.

“The ideas and feedback from people with lived experience, advocates, service providers and families have been key in developing this plan.”

Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy executive director Chris Gough said he supported the plan.

“(The plan) responds to unmet needs while focusing on the treatment of drug and alcohol issues as a health issue and steering people away from criminal justice settings,” he said.

In 2020 the ACT became the first Australian jurisdiction to decriminalise cannabis.

In July the territory opened its first permanent pill testing site.