North Richmond drug injecting room to open in coming days

THE inside of North Richmond’s controversial drug injecting room has been revealed — with 11 cubicles available to users. The facility will open in coming days and handle as many as 300 drug users a day once fully operational. SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

VICTORIA’S controversial drug injecting room will open in the coming days and expects to handle as many as 300 drug users every day once it is fully operational.

The North Richmond facility was opened to the media this morning, revealing 11 cubicles available for people to inject, and a separate room for medical care.

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Mental Health Minister Martin Foley would not say exactly when it would open, but that it would be in the next few days.

Cubicles at the North Richmond heroin injecting room. Picture: Nicole Garmston

The injecting room. Picture: Nicole Garmston

A medical monitoring room. Picture: Nicole Garmston

It will initially be open from 9am to 5pm before expanding to 12-hour days.

Medical director Dr Nico Clark said he expected about 10 per cent of users would be injecting ice.

The clean up room. Picture: Nicole Garmston

A consulting room. Picture: Nicole Garmston

A consulting room. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Mr Foley said the centre about “saving lives and reducing the impact of drugs on our community”.

He said the referral and support services would help users “overcome their addiction and get their lives back on track”.