Melbourne, VIC, 17th May 2011 – UnitingCare Moreland Hall, one of Victoria’s leading alcohol and other drugs agencies, today welcomed Yarra Councillor Stephen Jolly’s proposal for the introduction of a ‘safe injecting room’ similar to Sydney’s Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (http://bit.ly/jonfainepodcast). Moreland Hall supports the addition of such a service to the existing framework of prevention and treatment programs funded by the State Government. However, the agency expressed concern at Attorney General Robert Clark’s subsequent claims that the Baillieu Government would not consider the proposal as such services ‘don’t work’ and ‘send the wrong message’.

CEO Laurence Alvis said:

After ten years of operation and independent evaluation of the MSIC, the evidence is clear: the service has brought about significant health, social, economic and community safety benefits, not just in the Kings Cross area, but for the wider Sydney and NSW communities.

A recent review by KPMG (http://bit.ly/kpmgreport) included the following findings about the centre:

• It is effective at preventing deaths from drug overdoses. While it has been visited well over 600,000 times (including over 3,000 recorded overdose events) since its opening, there has not been a single death at the centre;
• It is effective gateway into drug treatment, particularly for those with no previous contact with relevant services. The more frequently clients attend the centre, the more likely they are to take up referrals to drug treatment programs;
• Local residents and business operators are strong supporters of the centre and report significant reductions in rates of public injecting and inappropriate disposal of injecting equipment since its opening in 2001.

Mr Alvis continued:

I understand that the concept of such services can be difficult for the public to accept and that politicians may be unwilling to advocate for measures which will polarise public opinion. Developing a consistent policy response to alcohol and other drug use is a complex (and occasionally contradictory) task, particularly with the varying legal status of different types of use. However, it is important that there is an informed public debate of relevant issues and that credible evidence is appropriately recognised (http://bit.ly/msicevaluationreports). The Government does Victorians a disservice when it refuses to consider the introduction of initiatives that have been consistently demonstrated to have a powerful community benefit.

ENDS

For further information or comment please contact Special Projects Officer (Communication & Evaluation) Paul Aiken on (03) 9384 8867.

Background about Moreland Hall: UnitingCare Moreland Hall is an Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) treatment and education agency of the Uniting Church in Australia. Moreland Hall has been operating since 1970 and provides a range of treatment and education services to clients in the North West Metropolitan region of Melbourne. These include counselling and support in the community and at Port Phillip prison, adult and youth home-based and residential withdrawal, education and training, drug diversion programs, supported accommodation and youth and family service.