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NSW

AUSTR ALIA DECL ARES AIDS MP CRE ATES PETITION AGAINST AUSTR ALIA’S
NO LONGER PUBLIC HE ALTH FIRST ICE INHAL ATION ROOM IN SYDNE Y’S SOUTH

IS S UE T HE G R AP E VINE J U L 11 , 2 0 16 WEST S TAC Y TH O M A S , LI V E R P O O L LE A D E R J U LY 7, 2 016

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia declared on A LOCAL politician has created drug use an issue in NSW but other
Monday the AIDS epidemic is no longer a a petition against a proposed ice ways of tackling the problems were a
public health issue, a month after the United room in Sydney’s south west “better way to combat it”.
claiming violence is her key
“I am asking the NSW Parliament
Nations adopted an ambitious target to concern. to join me in rejecting any plans for
eliminate the threat globally by 2030.The an ice smoking room to be built or
government-backed Australian Federation Holsworthy State MP Melanie operated in the south or south west
of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) and top Gibbons said drug use should not region of Sydney.
scientists said the number of people being be normalised.
“I do not want people in our area
diagnosed with AIDS in Australia was now thinking that by having a facility to
so small it was no longer reported. smoke ice makes it okay to do so,”
she said.
AIDS cases in Australia peaked in 1994, at Ms Gibbons said the State
953 cases. Government had identified ice and
AC T

G R E E N S M OTI O N O N PI LL TE S T S & D RU G D O G S PA S S E S I N S E N ATE
S E P 1 S T 2 0 16 | S TA F F W R I T E R

An Australian Greens motion calling ness of Naxolone, an over-the-counter resource.
for the introduction of pill testing, and medication used to combat the effects The government of Victoria has
gradual elimination of drug sniffer of opioids, especially in cases of over- vocally opposed the prospect of
dogs at music festivals, has passed the dose. introducing such harm-minimisation
Senate without opposition from either “Six people in Australia die each day measures in recent times, [and] a
major party. due to overdose,” Greens leader Rich- motion passing the [Australian]
The motion was brought before the ard Di Natale said. “It’s devastating for Senate is still a pretty long way away
Senate yesterday, 31 August — families, it’s entirely preventable, and from the introduction of anything even
International Overdose Awareness Day our country’s politicians need to find approaching a change to [Victorian]
— and also encompassed provisions for the courage to do what they can to laws.
an increase to the number of needle prevent further harm. Needle and Ultimately, this all still has to happen
and syringe programs across Australia, syringe programs, supervised injecting with the co-operation of the state
including inside prisons, greater access rooms, pill testing — these are all governments, who, aren’t exactly super
to medically supervised injecting evidence-based harm reduction into the idea — so, yeah, we wouldn’t
facilities, and signal-boosting aware- measures that the government should break out the party streamers just yet.

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