Critics hit out at Yarra Council proposal for Richmond injecting vans

A PROPOSAL by Yarra Council to study the feasibility of mobile injecting vans in Richmond’s drug-ravaged Victoria St will only encourage the use of more drugs, critics say.

A heroin drug user prepares to inject herself in a Richmond car park. Picture: Jason Edwards

A PROPOSAL by Yarra Council to study the feasibility of mobile injecting vans in Richmond’s drug-ravaged Victoria St will only encourage the use of more drugs, critics say.

The council has backed a harm minimisation approach, citing the success of the Kings Cross injecting centre in NSW.

Traders also support the move as long as CCTV cameras offered by the State Government are installed.

Gary Christian, secretary for Drug Free Australia, claims the arrival of mobile injecting vans is a desperate measure that will not change the number of overdoses or overdose deaths in the area.

“Tracking of overdose deaths in the Kings Cross area from five years before the room opened compared with the nine years after the room was opened showed no change in the percentage of deaths in the area,” Mr Christian said.

Shane Varcoe, spokesman for the Victorian-based Dalgarno Institute, said any enterprise that enables, empowers or equips ongoing illicit drug use has already breached best healthcare practice.

“Harm reduction can never be about the support of ongoing, health diminishing substance use,” Mr Varcoe said.

“Caring, responsible and civic minded clinicians and policy makers will always be focused on movement toward exit from, and cessation of drug use.

“Mechanisms that enable any government agency to send a message to the community that we are not only supporting, but enabling taxpayer funded illicit drug use, not only breaches care for the illegal drug user, but breaches international conventions.”

Yarra Mayor Roberto Colanzi said residents and traders of Victoria Street had endured the consequences of illicit drug problems for too many years.

“Personally, I support supervised injecting facilities and the role they play in supervising drug users and saving lives,” Cr Colanzi said.

“This harm minimisation approach should also provide some deserved relief for the traders, residents and visitors to Victoria Street.”

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