Drug users’ weekend absence baffles staff at North Richmond safe injecting room

DRUG users are staying away from North Richmond’s safe injecting room on weekends, baffling health workers and leading to public drug-taking.

DRUG users are staying away from North Richmond’s supervised injection room on weekends, with half as many attending compared to ­weekdays.

Addicts are now dropping into the centre every five minutes during the week to inject heroin.

But the low numbers at weekends, after its first 10 weeks of operation, has baffled centre staff including director Nico Clark.

“A lot less people use it on the weekends and we’re not sure why,’’ Dr Clark told the Herald Sun.

“People just might assume that we are not open.’’

INJECTING ROOM IS SAVING LIVES

PARENTS MAY PULL KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL NEAR DRUG INJECTION ROOM

USERS OVERDOSE DAILY IN RICHMOND INJECTING ROOM

tHE North Richmond Community Health centre.

Up to 200 people a day inject at the centre during the week but that number falls to about 100 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Staff are looking at ways to encourage users into the room to avoid injecting in the neighbourhood’s streets, alleyways and parks.

Longer opening hours are also under consideration, Dr Clark said, but a 24-hour operation has been ruled out as not being cost-effective.

The service has had more than 8000 visits since opening on June 30.

Dr Nico Clark, director of the safe injection room.

The supervision of heroin injections has divided the ­community but Dr Clark said the benefits would be long-term. “Our aim is to keep ­people alive and keep them healthy,” he said.

More than 140 people have been saved from overdose and potential death.

One in four users who visit the centre agrees to further health services or drug ­treatments.

Dr Clark said it was hoped to expand the centre’s dental health services because of the poor rates of oral hygiene among heroin users.

Inside the injecting room in North Richmond.

The clinic now has regular GP sessions and is also targeting hepatitis C infections.

“People are interested in receiving those treatments,’’ Dr Clark said.

The controversial service has divided much of the community but many residents have reported lower rates of public drug-taking.

Enrolments at Richmond West Primary School, which borders the injection room, have not changed since the start of the service, an Education Department spokesman said.

Construction is to start this month on new rooms adjoining the North Richmond Community Health building on Lennox St to house the injection service.

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