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Should heroin injection centres be trialed in Victoria?
Echo Issue Outline 2000 / 11-13: copyright © Echo Education Services
First published in The Echo news digest and newspaper sources index.
Issue outline by J M McInerney
What they said ...
'Shouldn't we try the obvious things first - more drug treatment places, more street policing, more Customs searches, more diversion programs for drug offenders and tougher penalties - before we give in to injecting rooms?'
Herald Sun commentator, Andrew Bolt
'The ... proposal for injecting facilities ... is not presented as a cure for Victoria's heroin problem ... It is part of a set of options to deal with the open drug scene that has been a feature of our city for the past four years ...'
Professor David Penington, chairman of the Victorian Government's Drug Policy Expert Committee
On April 19, 2000, the Victorian Government announced that it would be introducing legislation into the parliament to allow for the establishment of five trial heroin injection centres in Victoria.
This followed the recommendation of the Victorian Government's Drug Policy Experts Committee stage one report that heroin injection centres be trialed.
The trials will proceed only if the enabling legislation passes both houses of parliament and if the various municipalities involved agree to having an injection facility established in their areas.
The legislation is to be introduced in the current session of parliament but it will not be voted on until the spring session to allow for extensive consultation and community debate.
Background
Using, keeping, selling or giving heroin to someone else is illegal in all states and territories in Australia. Penalties start from a possible $2,000 fine and/or two years in jail to a $500,000 fine and/or jail for life.
Many overseas countries (for example, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand) have much harsher penalties - including the death penalty - for people who break their drug laws.
If convicted on a drug charge the person convicted then has a criminal record which can cause other problems such as trouble getting a job, a credit card, or a visa to travel overseas.
However, many management strategies apart from fines and imprisonment are either being used or considered. Those convicted of heroin use may be referred for counselling or other forms of detoxification intended to help them break their heroin habit.
Australia has been a world leader in harm minimisation strategies such as needle exchange programs. The free distribution of heroin to registered addicts has been proposed several times in the Australian Capital Territory and both the New South Wales and Victorian Governments support the trial of heroin injection rooms.
On 8 November, 1999, the Victorian Government announced the appointment of a Drug Policy Expert Committee to be chaired by Dr David Penington. The Committee will provide reports to Government on a local drug strategy and implementation of a trial of injecting facilities, as well as other components of the Government's drug policy. Stage one of the committee's report recommended the trailing of heroin injection centres.
The Committee's recommendation was in part based on its observations of the supposed success of injection facilities in Europe.
By 1998, legal injection rooms had been established in three European countries.
Five injection rooms operate in Frankfurt, Germany, the first of which opened in 1994; others can be found in Hamburg, Hannover, Bremen and Bonn.
Thirteen injection rooms operate in the Swiss cities of Zurich, Bern, and Basel, where the first one opened in 1986.
Injection rooms also operate in the Dutch cities of Rotterdam, Arnhem, and Maastricht; Amsterdam, which closed down poorly managed injection rooms in the 1970s, is currently considering their development.
The Victorian trial will only go ahead if each of the Councils involved approves. The Councils would then help nominate the exact locations of the injection rooms.
The Government has proposed establishing centres in St Kilda, Collingwood, Footscray, Springvale and the Melbourne Central Business District.
Users are to bring their own heroin.
The injection areas will be staffed by medical personnel who can provide syringes and clean water.
The proposed injection rooms will also be health centres.
It is recommended that there be a reception area, a waiting area and a recovery area. Coffee and light refreshments will be available in the waiting area.
There is to be a separate room for injecting and a room where users can consult a doctor.
The walls will have no hard edges and the chairs will be designed so you can not fall out of them.
Injecting facilities will also supply washing machines and showers which will be checked periodically to see if someone has slumped into an overdose.
Should someone overdose conventional resuscitation methods will be used and an ambulance will be called if necessary.
Those under 18 will not be allowed to use the facilities.
Police will pursue heroin dealers near injecting centres.
Stage One of the Victorian Government's Drug Policy Expert Committee report can be downloaded from the Internet. (Please note it cannot be read directly on-line.)
Stage One of the report is now available from the Victorian Government's Department of Human Services, Public Health Division, website at http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/phd/dpec/index.htm
The Australian Drug Foundation (ADF) supplies information on many aspects of drug and alcohol use, this includes information on heroin injection rooms.
The ADF is an independent, non-profit organisation working to prevent and reduce alcohol and drug problems in the Australian community through the provision of information and practical assistance.
The ADF supports the trialing of heroin injection rooms. The ADF's submission to the Penington Drug Policy Expert Committee can be found at http://www.adf.org.au/inside/pening.htm
Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, Melbourne, provides treatment, research services, and training and support initiatives, with the aim of reducing alcohol and drug related problems in our community.
Turning Point's home page can be found at http://www.turningpoint.org.au/
The site includes detailed information for heroin users on the risks involved with certain injection practices and on how to avoid overdoses.
This information can be found at http://www.turningpoint.org.au/clinical/safe_using.htm#injecting and at http://www.turningpoint.org.au/clinical/OD_prevent.htm
The Centre for Education and Information on Drugs and Alcohol(CEIDA) is based in Sydney, NSW, and is funded by the NSW Health Department.
CEIDA aims to increase the number of effective strategies implemented in NSW, to reduce alcohol and other drug related harm. It adopts a general harm minimisation position.
Its home page can be found at http://www.ceida.net.au/
It includes a useful summary of the physical effects of heroin use and also gives a simple general overview of the legal situation in Australia as it effects heroin use and supply.
This can be found at http://www.ceida.net.au/drugs/heroin.html
A useful source of information on drug use drawn from all over the world is the Lindesmith Center.
The Lindesmith Center is a United-States based drug policy research institute founded in 1994. The center has a library and information centre, searchable on-line.
The guiding principle of the Center is harm reduction, focusing on minimising the adverse effects of both drug use and drug prohibition. It supports initiatives such as heroin injection rooms.
The Lindesmith Center has published a discussion paper written by Eddie Micallef, Victorian MLA, in February, 1998 and titled 'Should Victoria Have a SIF Pilot-Trial?'
The paper focuses on the supposed benefits such a trial would offer the Springvale area but also looks at the question from the broader perspective of Victoria and Australia.
It includes consideration of the impediments under Victorian law to the establishment of injection rooms.
The discussion paper can be found at http://www.lindesmith.org/library/micallef2.html
The Lindesmith Center has also had a research brief prepared on the effects of injection rooms in Germany, Switzerland and The Netherlands. The brief, current to 1998, was prepared by Lindesmith Center Research Associate Phillip O. Coffin.
It can be found at http://www.lindesmith.org/cites_sources/brief17.html
The Australian Parents for Drug Free Youth is a voluntary organisation which aims to prevent drug use, primarily marijuana, but also alcohol, tobacco and heroin among young people.
Their website has an interesting subsection which traces the development of harm minimisation policies within Australia and questions their effectiveness.
This same article uses the prohibition policies employed in Sweden as an example of what it claims are more effective strategies.
The article is titled 'The fallacy of harm minimisation' and can be found at http://www.satcom.net.au/apfdfy/Fallacy.html
DRUG-ARM (Drug Awareness and Relief Movement) is a non-government, non-profit, Queensland based organisation committed to the promotion of a healthy lifestyle without the use of unnecessary drugs. Drug-Arm also appears to have established itself in some other states.
Its Victorian executive director, Graeme Rule, has spoken against the proposed heroin injection rooms.
Drug-Arm's home page can be found at http://www.drugarm.org.au/index.html
The site has a section detailing the penalties that apply for possessing and trafficking in illegal drugs. This can be found at http://www.drugarm.org.au/general/misuse.htm
The Age newspaper in its Issues 2000 section has a collection of articles dealing with many aspects of heroin debate in Australia. This includes the heroin injection rooms proposed for Victoria.
A list of these article links can be found at http://www.theage.com.au/issues/heroin/index.html
Arguments in favour of the trialing of heroin injection centres
The first argument offered in favour of the establishment of heroin injection centres is that they are an immediate and practical way of reducing the risk of death faced by heroin users.
This point is made by the Mayor of the City of Port Phillip, Julian Hill.
Mr Hill argues that injection rooms are primarily a means of reducing heroin overdose fatalities.
Referring to his City of Port Phillip, Mr Hill states, 'Between June 1998 and July 1999 the ambulance service attended 304 definite heroin overdoses, 128 likely heroin overdoses and 32 fatal heroin overdoses.
Mr Hill concludes, 'That's 32 people who could have been saved', presumably, had injecting rooms been available.
Other commentators have noted that in Victoria some 300 people a year are dying of heroin overdoses.
The Age, in its editorial of April 20, 2000, states, 'The heroin problem is now so acute that what matters most is reducing the growing number of heroin-related deaths, which ... [it is estimated] will have reached 500 a year in Australia by 2005.'
It has been claimed that without secure injection facilities many heroin users, especially those who use in streets, laneways, parks and public toilets are in particular danger of dying of overdoses.
A survey by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre of 200 injecting drug users found that addicts who frequently injected in public places were more likely to have overdosed in the preceding six months.
Supporters of the establishment of heroin injection centres argue that one of the reasons why heroin users in the central business district of Melbourne frequently die of overdoses is that the strong police presence in the area makes them afraid to call for help if anything goes wrong.
This point has been made in an analysis of the drug problem in Melbourne written by Peter Ellingsen and Gary Tippet and published in The Age on December 14, 1999.
The analysis claims, 'CBD heroin users are more likely to die because the closeness of police means users are reluctant to call an ambulance when an overdose occurs.'
It is argued that the establishment of injection centres where addicts could shoot up in relative safety, with access to medical support, if necessary, and without the fear of police apprehension would help to reduce the number of deaths due to heroin overdoses.
According to this line of argument, what is of primary importance is that heroin users be prevented from killing themselves via overdoses. From this perspective it is vital that heroin use be treated as a public heath issue rather than a law and order issue.
It is claimed that reducing heroin related deaths must come before other aspects of any program designed to address the drug problem. It is argued that people have to be alive before they can be given counselling, alternative medications or be placed on detoxification programs.
Port Phillip's mayor, Julian Hill, argues that people need to be kept 'alive so they can recover'.
This is frequently referred to as a harm minimisation approach, as it appears to be based on the assumption that some level of heroin use will always occur and therefore what is important is to reduce the harm that heroin users suffer as a result of their addiction.
Some proponents of harm minimisation strategies argue that the traditional 'war against drugs' is misguided because it will never fully succeed. Indeed, some critics argue, the problems associated with illicit drug use only get worse.
This position has been put by Professor David Penington, the chairman of the Victorian Government's Drug Policy Expert Committee.
Professor Penington has stated, 'The escalating use of heroin, flooding into Australia from South-East Asia, is now a huge problem.
The Prime Minister's Tough on Drugs program of two years ago put substantial additional resources into trying to stem the flood and to support other aspects of national drug policy, but the problem gets worse.
Only a small portion of drugs entering the country is found ... Victoria has a higher rate of conviction for drug-related offences than any other state, yet the situation continues to deteriorate.'
The same position has been put in an editorial published in The Age on April 20, 2000. The editorial states, 'The existing prohibition and enforcement strategies have failed to stem, let alone stop, the flow of heroin to Australia's streets.'
The editorial also claims, '... it has not been possible to lower the demand for heroin significantly either.
It is evident from a casual stroll along Russell Street and adjacent areas of Melbourne that people continue to buy this illegal drug openly, and to inject it in circumstances that can too easily result in their deaths.'
Those who hold this point of view argue for a more mixed approach to the drug problem. They generally recommend that police and customs should still seek to apprehend drug importers, suppliers and dealers, but also recommend that support programs of different kinds be offered to heroin users.
Heroin injection rooms, needle exchange programs and the distribution of heroin to registered addicts are some of the alternative strategies that have been suggested.
Supporters of heroin injection rooms also claim that they will help to correct some of the other adverse consequences of Australia's drug problem.
It has been claimed, for example, that establishing heroin injection centres will help to remove syringes from public places, such as parks and beaches.
The mayor of Port Phillip, Julian Hill, has claimed that establishing a heroin injection centre in his city will help to 'get drugs, needles and drug users off the streets and out of residents yards.'
It has also been claimed that establishing heroin injection centres would reduce the incidence of street crimes committed by heroin users under the influence of the drug.
Three claims are made in response to suggestions that heroin injection centres will actually attract undesirables into the areas where they are established.
Firstly it is claimed that care will be taken to establish these centres in the most suitable locations possible.
Professor Penington has stated that any injection facilities to be established 'should not be in primarily residential areas, not near schools or kindergartens, and not have shop-front locations in public trading areas.'
Supporters of the proposed injection rooms argue that if these recommendations about location are followed then the rooms should have negligible adverse effect on the communities within which they are placed.
It is also argued that heroin injection centres will only be established in areas where there already an established culture of heroin use.
This point has been made in The Age editorial of April 20, 2000. The editorial states, 'The not-in-my-backyard argument may be justified when people are being asked to accept something that is not already in their backyard ... But heroin dealing and its related problems, including deaths from overdoses, are not being imposed on the traders and residents of inner Melbourne; these things already happen there.'
Supporters of heroin injection facilities argue that they will reduce the problems associated with heroin taking in areas where these problems already occur.
Thirdly, it is argued, that these facilities will only be established in areas where there is what Professor Penington refers to as 'clear community support'.
Supporters of heroin injection rooms also note that the establishment of such facilities is not intended to be the only means a responsible government uses to deal with the drug problem.
It is claimed that efforts would continue to be made to prevent heroin being smuggled into Australia.
The Bracks Government also plans to increase the penalties faced by drug dealers.
While the Victorian Government's Drug Policy Expert Committee has recommended that heroin injection rooms be only stage one of a number of new strategies to reduce the adverse effect of drug usage.
In addition to the establishment of heroin injection rooms, the Committee has recommended further education programs to increase young people's knowledge of the dangers of heroin use.
The Committee has also recommended a review of all current forms of detoxification and rehabilitation. It argues that Victoria needs to offer all interested addicts the best possible rehabilitation opportunities.
Professor Penington, the chairman of the Committee, has stated, 'The ... proposal for injecting facilities ... is not presented as a cure for Victoria's heroin problem ... It is part of a set of options to deal with the open drug scene that has been a feature of our city for the past four years ...'
Arguments against the trialling of heroin injection centres
The first criticism usually made of the establishment of heroin injection centres is that heroin-taking is a dangerous and socially harmful activity which is therefore illegal.
According to this line of argument, it is inappropriate for any state government to appear to be condoning illegal actions such as heroin-taking and supply.
Those who hold this view maintain that even if the Victorian Government does not intend to promote heroin use, this is the effect of establishing heroin injection centres.
This view has been put by Graeme Rule, the executive director of Drug-Arm.
Mr Rule has stated, 'We are very concerned about the honey-pot effect that an injecting room will create.'
The same point has been made in a Herald Sun editorial published on April 20, 2000.
The editorial states, '... it will send the wrong message to young people tempted to embark on heroin's downward path.'
It has further been suggested that when state governments establish heroin injection centres they are undermining the efforts of law enforcement officers to apprehend the users and suppliers of heroin.
The Herald Sun, in its editorial of February 2, 2000, asks 'Will the police be arresting pedlars as they supply addicts queuing to use the rooms?'
This question is intended to point to a supposed contradiction in the Victorian Government's position. If the government allows addicts to inject in specified areas, is it not also implicitly allowing those who supply them to do so?
This position has also been put in a letter published in The Age on April 20, 2000, referring to the heroin injecting rooms established by the Wesley Central Mission, in Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.
The letter states, 'The police must be told to stay away from the area because you rarely see any police in this section of the city.'
The suggestion appears to be that if you abet heroin injecting, you are effectively condoning the whole process which supplies the user with the drug to which he or she is addicted.
This point was made in another Herald Sun editorial published on October 21, 1999.
The editorial states, 'The Sydney experience has shown that the dealers who supply heroin users will still be around, even though the Bracks Government plans to toughen the penalties for drug pedlars.'
According to this line of argument, heroin injection centres will advantage the whole heroin supply network, even if the Victorian and New South Wales governments make specific efforts to apprehend and punish heroin dealers.
This point was made by Peter Ferris, QC, in a submission to the Victorian Government's Drug Policy Expert Committee. Mr Ferris claims that 'addicts will buy at the door, and that injecting rooms will become major centres of drug culture, attracting even more crime.'
Objections to any policy which appears to condone heroin use are central to a prohibitionist approach, also referred to as a 'zero tolerance' approach.
Those who adopt a prohibitionist or 'zero-tolerance' approach argue that heroin is a dangerous substance, the use and supply of which must remain a crime. They argue that rigorous customs and police action needs to be taken to reduce the amount of heroin being imported into Australia and to apprehend its suppliers and users.
Heroin users should then, it has been argued, be offered counselling and other supports to allow them to break their addiction. It is claimed that no policy should be followed which appears to sanction or approve heroin use.
This position has been made in another Herald Sun editorial published on October 30, 1999. The editorial states, 'Vigilant policing, proper counselling and good rehabilitative care have always been regarded as the best methods to counter heroin abuse.'
Critics of a harm minimisation approach, including the establishment of safe injection centres, argue that law enforcement and rehabilitative measures are not adequately funded and that it is therefore inappropriate to direct government funds toward injection rooms.
This point has been made by Herald Sun commentator, Andrew Bolt, in an article published on February 24, 2000.
Mr Bolt has claimed, 'Victoria ... has such a huge shortage of treatment centres [for heroin addicts] that a judge this month had to send a 20-year-old woman to South Australia for help.'
Mr Bolt then concludes, 'If the Bracks Government gets its way on shooting galleries, by July it will be easier for an addict to get help to shoot up than to give up.'
A similar point has been made by Graeme Rule of Drug-Arm. Mr Rule has claimed that there are 'massive gaps in [our] present treatment program [for heroin addicts] - two weeks to place a client in treatment and another two week gap before they can get into a residential program.'
Another of the major arguments against the establishment of heroin injection centres is that they will create problems in the areas where they are established.
According to this line of argument, heroin injection centres will serve to attract heroin users to the areas where they are set up. It has been claimed that those who live or run businesses in the vicinity of the heroin injection centres will have to contend with increased numbers of heroin takers and suppliers near their homes or business premises.
This point has also been made in the Herald Sun editorial of October 30, 1999.
This editorial states, '... no clear answers have been given about how unsavoury types will be stopped from loitering outside these centres.'
The editorial further asks, 'Will the surrounding streets become clandestine markets for heroin?'
This, it has been claimed, will harm shops, restaurants etcetera as customers are likely to avoid businesses located near heroin injection centres. There has also been concern expressed that non-drug takers, including women and children, might be accosted by either drug takers or their suppliers.
These points have also been made in a letter from Vincent Mahon, published in The Age on April 20, 2000.
Mr Mahon is commenting on what he claims have been the effects of the heroin injecting rooms established by the Wesley Central Mission, in Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.
Mr Mahon claims, 'Burglaries and damage to adjoining properties have increased. Nearby residents, particularly women, are being bailed up by drug users at night when trying to enter their residential car parks.'
On the other hand, it has been suggested that if heroin injection centres are successful and manage to reduce overdose deaths and remove the signs of drug addiction from Australian streets, this, too, could have undesirable side-effects.
This point has been made by Dr Nick Crofts, the director of the Centre for Harm Reduction at the Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research.
Dr Crofts has claimed, 'If safe injection rooms were to work ... and street scenes disappear, much of the visible part of the problem will go away ...'
Dr Crofts is concerned that if this happens there will be less pressure on politicians and others to tackle underlying social, economic and political inequalities.
According to this line of argument, safe injecting rooms might simply hide the heroin addiction problem and at the same time make it more unlikely that governments will address the underlying causes of addiction.
Dr Crofts has suggested, '... the pressure to consider fundamental reform of bad policy will be weakened.'
Finally, there are those who argue that any attempt to establish 'safe' heroin injection centres is misguided because such centres can never be without risk.
According to this line of argument, heroin-taking is intrinsically dangerous, and any support facilities supplied in injection rooms will never be able to make heroin-taking 'safe'.
Athol Moffit, a former NSW Supreme Court judge and royal commissioner, has been quoted as claiming that overdoses occur because of 'the lack of a match between the strength of a particular dose and the tolerance of the user.' He has stated 'the injection will be no safer in the injection room than in the street or elsewhere.'
Denise Chen, in a letter published in The Age on April 20, 2000, has also claimed that injection rooms merely allow users 'to overdose, and then be revived so they can overdose again.'
Critics maintain that the establishment of supposedly 'safe'
injection centres not only misleads addicts but might also serve to encourage non-users to experiment with heroin in the mistaken belief that they can do so safely.
This point has been made by Mr Russell Savage, the independent MP for Mildura.
Mr Savage has claimed, '[There is] no such thing as a safe situation to inject yourself with drugs ... I am not going to go down a path where heroin use is an acceptable or encouraged pastime.'
Further implications
It is difficult to judge whether the proposed government-sanctioned heroin injection facilities will be trialed.
The Federal Liberal Party, especially the Prime Minister, Mr Howard, are currently urging the Victorian Liberals to use their control of the upper house to block the enabling legislation. To this point the Victorian Liberal Party has reserved judgement on the proposal, however, it has been extremely cautious in its response.
The Victorian Country Party has been more overtly critical of the proposal. This is in keeping with the attitudes of its support base. All surveys taken to date have indicated significantly less support for heroin injection rooms among country Victorians.
It is possible that the legislation will not even get to the upper house as the Victorian Government relies on the support of three independents to get its legislation through the lower house. At least one of these, Mr Russell Savage, is already on record as being opposed to heroin injection facilities.
If the legislation gets through parliament it will then require the support of the councils concerned before the facilities could be established. So far only two of the relevant councils have backed the proposal.
In the long-run it seems likely that only strong community support for the prosopal is likely to ensure that it both passes through Parliament and gains the approval of all councils concerned. It remains to be seen whether there is the level of support required.
The Sources
The Age
17/10/99 page 5 news item by Hugh Martin, 'Locals fear heroin clinic will be "shooting gallery"'
21/10/99 page 16 editorial, 'Welcome action on the drugs scourge'
5/11/99 page 27 comment by Frank Costigan, 'Pell and the Pope should be afraid'
4/12/99 page 1(News Extra section) analysis by Peter Ellingsen & Gary Tippet, 'Heroin central: surviving drugs in the city'
7/1/00 page 6 news item by Greg Roberts, 'Young Libs rebuff PM on heroin'
25/1/00 page 10 editorial, 'Taking a stand against drugs'
16/2/00 page 14 editorial, 'Heed heroin's harsh lesson'
19/2/00 page 16 news item by Chloe Saltau, 'Social chaos a big peril for addicts'
19/2/00 page 16 news item by Chleo Saltau, 'Coming clean far from Easy Street'
20/4/00 page 1 news item by Ewin Hannan, Sally Finlay & Chloe Saltau, 'Trial may start this year'
20/4/00 page 4 news item by Victoria Butto & Chleo Saltau, 'Drug experts urge room for youth'
20/4/00 page 4 news item by Adrian Rollins, 'Heroin trial lacks Liberal support'
20/4/00 page 4 comment, 'Mayoral views on supervised injecting rooms'
20/4/00 page 4 comment by Ewin Hannan, 'Courage and a dash of realism'
20/4/00 page 4 comment by Darrin farrant, 'Decision could be legal minefield for operators'
20/4/00 page 4 news item by Chloe Saltau, 'Open to ideas to stem the tide'
20/4/00 page 5 five graphs, 'Snapshot of Victoria's heroin crisis'
20/4/00 page 5 news item by Chloe Saltau, 'Hit by the soft walls, comfy chairs, hot showers'
20/4/00 page 5 news item by Hugh Martin, 'Most addicts favor room idea: study'
20/4/00 page 13 analysis by Gary Tippet, 'Working the Golden Elbow'
20/4/00 page 14 editorial, 'The right decision on injection houses'
20/4/00 page 14 letter from Vincent Mahon, 'The truth about injecting rooms'
20/4/00 page 14 letter from Denise Chen, 'Weren't they called "safe"?'
20/4/00 page 14 letter from Graeme Rule, DRUG-ARM, Victoria, 'Wrong way, go back'
20/4/00 page 14 letter from Warwick Murphy, Community Coaltition for a Drug Free Society, 'The people demand to be heard'
20/4/00 page 15 comment by David Pennington, 'Why we need a new approach to fight heroin'
21/4/00 page 1 news item by Phillip Hudson & Penny Fannin, 'Wrong message, says PM'
21/4/00 page 2 news item by Chloe Saltau, 'Figures point to reduced deaths'
21/4/00 page 2 news item by Sally Finlay, 'Another trader gives up in the face of a takeover'
21/4/00 page 2 news item by Sally Finlay, 'What's in a name? A lot, says long-time drug users'
21/4/00 page 2 news item by Sally Finaly, 'Residents not all convinced'
21/4/00 page 2 news item by Darren Gray, 'Federal inquiry to focus on drugs'
The Australian
1/2/00 page 3 news item by Martin Chulov & Nicole Strahan, 'Cross site set for first injecting room'
25/2/00 page 13 analysis by Sian Powell, 'On the right track?'
The Herald Sun
21/10/99 page 18 editorial, 'Do we want this here?'
30/10/99 page 1 news item by John Ferguson, 'Heroin help: injection clinic first for city'
30/10/99 page 28 editorial, 'The Premier's heroin dilemma'
11/11/99 page 7 news item by Nicola Webber & John Ferguson, 'Drug policy rift opens: Savage voices fears over injecting rooms'
1/12/99 page 18 editorial, 'No to official drug peddling'
2/2/00 page 18 editorial, 'Debating drugs'
24/2/00 page 18 comment by Andrew Bolt, 'Our courage to keep up the drugs battle is being sapped'
25/2/00 page 18 editorial, 'Selective correctness'
20/4/00 page 1 news item by Fran Cusworth & Rachel Hodder, 'So it's come down to this'
20/4/00 page 4 news item by Rachel Hodder, 'Local support gives councils room to move'
20/4/00 page 4 news item by Evonne Barry, 'Traders reject room'
20/4/00 page 4 news item, 'PM disagrees with move'
20/4/00 page 5 news item by Regina Titelius & Rachel Hodder, 'Reform plan injects drug chaos'
20/4/00 page 5 news item by Mark Buttler, 'Dealers won't be welcome'
20/4/00 page 5 news item by Rachel Hodder, 'The view from the inside'
20/4/00 page 18 editorial, 'The wrong message'
20/4/00 page 19 comment by Julian Hill, 'City of Port Phillip Mayor, 'Lives must be saved'
20/4/00 page 19 comment by Graeme Rule, 'Education the first priority'
21/4/00 page 5 news item by Tim Jamieson & Michael Harvey, 'We don't want drug rooms'
21/4/00 page 5 news item by Philip Cullen, 'saved by good guys'