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and a safe place for people
A R E U S E R S I N to inject. But really, actually,
M E LB O U R N E A N D P E R TH we are all waiting to win
S U P P O S E D TO T R AV E L the ultimate battle, that
OV E R TO K I N G S C R O S S TO is, being able to provide
H AV E A S H OT ? clean, quality, LICIT drugs 2
with the clean equipment,
Melbourne needs a Safe and somewhere legal to
Consumption Room and it consume it. And it is all so
is long overdue. obvious to everyone.
The evidence that Back in the 90’s Maureen
the Sydney Medically explained the “Needle &
Supervised Injecting Centre Syringe Program” to a very
(MSIC) is a success was elderly catholic woman.
established right from
the start. But the service Her response was
remained “on trial” for 10 “ B U T WA I T A
years before being made MIN U T E , AR E YOU
permanent in 2010. That TE LLI N G M E TH AT
is unreasonable! Only this REVIEWING THE
week there was an article in T H E R E A R E N ’ T EFFE CTIVENESS OF
the local press saying that ANY D R UG S IN T HE VICT ORIAN
users are having a negative S YR IN G E YOU G IVE
impact on businesses in O U T ? . . .TH E Y S TI LL GO VERNMENT
Kings Cross. The downturn H AV E TO B U Y T H E INVESTMENT INT O
in the Cross is a result of
harshly enacted lock out D R U G S ?!? ILLICIT DR UG
laws - which has hurt users W E L L , T H AT S O U N D S SUPPLY REDUCTION,
along with everyone else. P O I NTLE S S ! ” DEMAND REDUCTION
The Supervised Injecting Good on you, little old lady.
Centre will always have Users share this view. AND
to fight for its existence HARM REDUCTION
and continue to provide Unfortunately, we
evidence of its worth. haven’t reached the point STRATE GIES AND
Any new service in of free heroin or ice for PR OGRAMS;
Melbourne - Consumption everyone yet, but we have
Room or otherwise - will to be mindful of what the
have to do the same in key issues are. Australians
mainstream Victorian are fairly pragmatic at
media, no matter how the end of the day, and as
successful the service is. a movement we remain
Stigma and misinformation optimistic that drug use,
is part of the war on drugs like many other issues
and requires ongoing of bodily autonomy, can
advocacy and concern! be liberated from the
military-industrial neo-
Finally, we note that not liberal colonialist capitalist
only has the evidence been complex. Safe
in for a long time in support
of Consumption Rooms D O YO U R B I T BY
and Injecting Centres, the P U T T I N G I N A
evidence has also been in (Injecting)
for a long time to support us SU B M IS S I O N TO
going to ‘phase three.’ T H E VI C TO RIAN Consumption
And what is ‘phase three’ I G OV ER N M EN T.
hear you ask? ……........
DECRIMINALISE THE Whatever you write
DRUGS ALREADY!!! will make good sense, Rooms
because users are smart and
At the Supervised Injecting imaginative, and know best
Centre in Kings Cross we about what users need!
provide clean equipment

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WHACK35_LYOT.indd 29 11-Oct-16 4:25:23 PM