Melbourne's first safe injecting room, clean, sterile and 'will save lives'

Paris Flickr CC FEDITO BXL asbl (11)

News

Melbourne's first safe injecting room, clean, sterile and 'will save lives'

29 June 2018

By Stephanie Anderson

Up to 300 people a day are expected to use Victoria's first medically supervised drug injecting room when it opens in the coming days. The Victorian Government committed to a two-year trial at the North Richmond Community Health Centre, after three separate coroners called for a supervised space. Mental Health Minister Martin Foley said it would save lives. "I look forward to speaking to less families who have been subject to the trauma and grief of losing loved ones," he said. The centre is made up of different rooms where users are assessed, an injecting space, and treatment and recovery rooms. Up to 11 people can use the rooms at once, and based on the rates of use through the centre's existing needle exchange it is estimated up to 300 people may visit throughout the day.