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Needle & Syringe

Programs (NSP)

In Prison

Australia’s Needle and Syringe Because prisons are considered a
Program (NSP) has been a “weak link” in the battle against
spectacular success. blood borne viruses, there is
tremendous support for the
establishment of NSPs in these
Providing clean needles to facilities.
“ WITH PRISON NSPS injecting drug users has, over the
last 30 years, saved over a billion This support comes from domestic
ALREADY IN OPERATION dollars in healthcare costs, saved groups like the Australian Medi-
thousands of lives, and maintained cal Association and the Royal
IN 8 COUNTRIES Australasian College of Physicians,
some of the lowest rates of HIV and
WORLDWIDE, Hepatitis C in the world. and international organisations
ranging from the WHO (World
THE QUESTION MUST BE But in Australia’s prisons, where Health Organisation) to the
NSPs are still illegal, the United Nations Office on Drugs
ASKED: transmission of blood borne viruses and Crime.
(BBV) remains a huge and costly
WHY IS AUSTRALIA issue. Because prisons have a large With prison NSPs already in

injecting population, and because operation in 8 countries world-
DRAGGING ITS F EET ON wide, the question must be asked:
those populations are made of
THIS ISSUE? ” diverse groups from all over the Why is Australia dragging its feet
country, the risk of BBV on this issue? The answer, in short,
transmission is a serious issue. It is because of the Community and
not only affects the inmates, Public Sector Union (CPSU) who
it affects the communities that represent prison guards.
these inmates return to upon their
release. The CPSU has shot down any

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