Overdoses near Richmond North safe injecting room on rise but centre makes impact

Paramedics have been called to 152 drug overdoses in North Richmond since the state’s first safe injecting room opened in July last year. But one stat has prompted the state’s ambulance boss to say the room’s trial has made a “promising start”.

Paramedics have been called to 152 drug overdoses in North Richmond since the state’s first safe-injecting room opened in July last year — more than five cases a week.

Figures exclusively ­obtained by the Herald Sun through Freedom of Information reveal a steady ­increase in the number of overdoses in the drug hotspot between Bridge Rd and Johnston St in Richmond.

In 2016, there were 199 overdose incidents responded to by paramedics — that rose to 281 in 2018.

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And in the first 14 days of this year, 17 people were treated for overdoses.

But instances of public overdoses dropped 7 per cent in the six months after the safe injecting room opened, compared with the six months prior.

In the first four months of operation, more than 1500 people registered to use the service and staff had responded to more than 300 overdoses.

Ambulances were called to only a handful of these cases at the safe-injecting room.

Ambulance Victoria’s acting CEO Mick Stephenson said the data demonstrated a “promising start” to the room’s two-year trial.

A man injects in car park next to the Richmond safe injecting room. Picture: Jason Edwards

Mr Stephenson said the decrease — equivalent to 11 fewer cases — was a “significant and measurable reduction”.

He said while the centre still needed time to establish itself and be accepted by the public, the early indication was it was successful in reducing harm.

The data also reveals most ambulance call-outs occurred during the hours the centre was closed.

Mr Stephenson said the issue of opening hours would be considered when the injecting room was reviewed by an independent panel at the end of the trial period.

Minister for Mental Health Martin Foley said the early data showed the centre was making a difference.

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“There’s no quick fix and we’ll keep doing what we need to do to keep people safe,” he said.

“The medically supervised injecting room trial is about keeping Victorians safe and saving lives. We’re not going to be deterred from that goal.”

But many locals told the Herald Sun the situation has been worse than ever, with daylight drug dealing, public injecting and aggressive ­behaviour from those who had used the centre.

A security guard outside the safe injecting room at North Richmond Picture: Wayne Taylor

Last week this paper exposed a heroin drug ring operating out of a public housing flat just a few minutes walk from the injecting room.

One Lennox St resident, who did not wish to be named, said while she acknowledged the room was saving lives, she did not agree with its location and vicinity to the primary school.

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