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Melbourne beaches and discarded syringes: are state and local governments doing sufficient to address the problem?
Echo Issue Outline 2000 / 04 - 05: copyright © Echo Education Services
First published in The Echo news digest and newspaper sources index.
Issue outline by J M McInerney
What they said ...
'It's a wake-up call to all levels of government'
Cr Dick Gross, the mayor of Port Phillip, commenting on a needle-stick injury on Elwood Beach
'It's no one's fault. I can't blame anyone for it'
Mr Jonathan Crowe, commenting on the needle-stick injury he received on Elwood Beach
On Saturday, January 8, 2000, champion ironman, Jonathan Crowe, was jabbed in the foot by a discarded syringe on Elwood Beach.
Mr Crowe was conducting a junior surf clinic as part of the One Summer surf carnival.
Organisers of the carnival were subsequently forced to cancel the beach volleyball events after an inspection of Elwood Beach found up to 20 syringes lying in the sand.
The incident lead to a meeting between the Environment Protection Authority, all Melbourne Bayside councils and the Victorian Department of Human Services.
It also prompted a large number of letters to the editor from concerned readers suggesting a range of responses to the problem. There was fairly wide-spread dissatisfaction with state and local government handling of the illicit drug problem generally, and syringe management, disposal and removal in particular.
Background
The problem of syringe disposal has been addressed in a variety of manners.
Most Victorian local councils supply sharps disposal boxes for diabetics and others who regularly use syringes. The formality of these arrangements mean they are not an effective means of disposing of syringes for those with an illegal drug habit.
All bayside councils have beach cleaning programs, which include regular mechanical beach sweeping. This is designed to control the general litter problem, including discarded syringes.
Syringe disposal boxes are also supplied in varying numbers. There has been some reluctance to install these boxes as they can be seen as an encouragement to 'shoot up' in the areas where they are placed.
Needle exchange centres have been set up by a variety of organisations, including some hospitals and health care centres. It has been claimed that no more than fifty per cent of the syringes distributed are then exchanged for new ones. Between three and four million syringes are distributed annually in Victoria.
Needle exchange programs, as they currently operate, do not appear to reduce the syringe disposal problem, indeed, there are those who claim that they feed it. However, the primary function of needle exchange programs is to stop the spread of HIV and other blood-borne diseases. They are not, primarily, a way of addressing syringe disposal.
Similarly, the Victorian Government intends to trial a number of supervised injection centres for the use of heroin addicts. The Government sees this primarily as a way of reducing the overdose death rate, however, there are those who believe that supervised injection rooms could help address the syringe disposal problem.
It has been claimed that the risk of infection from a needle-stick injury from a discarded syringe on the beach is slight. The HIV risk is small as the virus dies on contact with the air. Hepatitis B can be prevented by a vaccine within 72 hours of exposure. There is a risk of hepatitis C infection, depending on how long the needle had been exposed to the air. Hepatitis C can last up to two weeks on a needle.
There is a number of Internet sites dealing with aspects of the syringe disposal problem.
The Federal Environment Minister, Senator Robert Hill, issued a press release on May 29, 1999, titled Sydney urged to clean up its beaches for the Olympics.
It can be found at http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/env/99/mr29may99.html
The press release supplies information on a number of Federal Government initiatives intended to assist local councils reduce beach pollution in the lead up to the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Included in the press release is the statement, 'Senator Hill announced funding to complete a network of stormwater pollution traps along Sydney's eastern suburb beaches.
"Waverley Council will receive $228,000 from the Natural Heritage Trust to install pollution traps on stormwater outlets at Bronte. It's the last beach in the area to get these pollution devices."'
It is interesting to note that the Federal grant being given to one Sydney local council, Waverley, to install pollution traps on stormwater drains is nearly as large as the Victorian Government grant intended to serve eleven councils.
The Linesmith Center supplies a brief description of the operation of what it terms 'safer injection rooms', otherwise known as 'shooting galleries' or 'supervised injection centres'.
The account seems to favour the rooms and suggests 'They ... appear to be successful in reducing public order problems associated with illicit drug use, including improper syringe disposal'
This item can be found at http://www.soros.org/lindesmith/library/focal16.html
This page includes links to a number of other sites dealing with injection rooms. These include New South Wales and Victorian sites.
The Linesmith Center is a United States policy research institute founded in 1994. It is based in New York and San Francisco. It focuses on United States drug policy and related issues. It has a library (including an on-line library) and information centre.
The centre advocates 'harm reduction, an alternative approach to drug policy and treatment that focuses on minimizing the adverse effects of both drug use and drug prohibition.'
The United States National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information has published a summary of research findings on the effectiveness of syringe disposal boxes.
The research brief is dated March 18, 1999 and is titled, Focus group evaluation of drop boxes for safe syringe disposal. It reports on a pilot trialing the effectiveness of syringe disposal boxes. The pilot was conducted in Baltimore.
The research apparently found that there were community objections to the installation of the boxes prior to the pilot. However, the report concludes 'Participants ... expressed positive opinions about the project ... Expansion of the project was recommended.'
The research brief can be found at http://www.health.org/res-brf/Mar99/33.htm
The HIVDENT research and advocacy organisation has published a summary of a report surveying the range of measures used to manage syringe disposal.
The summary is titled Community-Based Programs for Safe Disposal of Used Needles and Syringes and the report on which it is based was originally published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes and Human Retrovirology in July, 1998.
The report summary can be found at http://www.hivdent.org/publicp/ppcdpfadounas0898.htm
This is a very interesting document, giving an overview of 15 syringe disposal programs - 11 in the United States, two in Canada, one in both Canada and the United States, and one in Australia.
The report concludes that 'it is not possible to create an optimum strategy for syringe collection and disposal and that multiple strategies for the disposal of syringes should be used.'
HIVDENT is a United States based, non-profit coalition of health care providers aiming to promote the oral health of 'adults, adolescents, and children living with HIV disease'.
HIVDENT provides treatment information and shares expertise in advocacy, development, training, integration, and evaluation of oral health services for the HIV-infected population.
Arguments suggesting state and local governments should not do more to address the problem of discarded syringes
There are three main positions adopted by those who argue that State and local governments do not need to do more to address the problem of discarded syringes.
The first position is taken by those who see illicit drug use and, by extension, syringe management, as essentially law enforcement problems.
From this point of view, heroin use is illegal and, therefore, what is required is that the police and all other relevant authorities be vigilant in apprehending and prosecuting users and suppliers.
This point has been made by P. fellows in a letter published in the Herald Sun on January 14, 2000.
The letter states, '... drug use is illegal ... Why are we becoming sympathetic toward heroin users? We have had the heroin toll published in the paper, addicts get free needles and now heroin injecting rooms.
What benefits do non-drug users really see? ...
I would sleep much better knowing drug users were being locked up to ensure my child is safe to play on the beach.'
Those who hold this view, sometimes referred to as a 'zero-tolerance' approach, maintain that measures should not be put in place to reduce the damage illicit drug users do to themselves.
It is argued that special provision does not need to be made for heroin users, either to protect them from harm or to protect the community from the consequences of their addiction.
This argument has been put specifically about the proposed provision of safe injecting rooms for heroin users.
Critics argue that such an approach could be seen to encourage heroin use and so might increase the problems associated with illicit drug use, including the dangers posed by discarded syringes.
In particular it has been claimed that establishing safe injecting rooms in bayside suburbs in these areas may actually encourage people to come to the beaches to shoot up.
It has also been argued that many heroin users lead haphazard, irresponsible lives and thus, supplying them with safe injecting rooms will not ensure either that they use these centres properly or that they dispose of needles safely.
This point has been made by Lorraine Rogers, in a letter published in The Herald Sun on January 12, 2000.
Ms Rogers stated, 'People suffering from addiction, including alcohol, usually don't have much manageability about their lives and often exhibit out-of-control behaviour.
To consider putting these same people in charge of injecting rooms would be, I believe, counter-productive ...'
A similar point has been made by Mr Alex Hutchinson, in a letter also published in The Herald Sun on January 12, 2000.
Mr Hutchinson has stated, 'The discovery of dirty needles virtually anywhere and everywhere would seem to indicate a significant number of drug addicts are quite irresponsible about needle disposal.
Therefore, it would not be unreasonable to conclude that addicts may not necessarily use proposed shooting galleries to inject.'
(Even some of those who support the provision of safe injecting houses, do not see this as a measure to remove syringes from Victoria's beaches.
John Thwaites, Victoria's Health Minister has claimed that injecting rooms would have only a minimal impact on the number of syringes found on beaches.)
The second major argument against council and state governments taking significant further action to clean up the problem is that it is so large as to be extremely difficult to control.
General reference to the scope of the problem has been made by acting Premier and Health Minister, John Thwaites.
Mr Thwaites has claimed that more than four million syringes were handed out each year through needle exchange programs alone.
Mr Thwaites noted, 'We have so many needles going into drains and then those drains - more than 300 - empty into the bay.'
A related point has been made by Mr David Spokes, the City of Port Phillip services manager.
Mr Spokes has claimed that discarded syringes were a whole community problem and, by implication, beyond remedy simply through the clean up action of local councils.
Mr Spokes has stated, 'Beach-cleaning is only part of the solution and will never, in itself, solve the problem.'
The third major argument made in response to demands that councils and the State Government do more to address syringe disposal and removal is that action is already being taken to address the problem.
The State Government gives bayside councils subsidies to help them keep their beaches clean.
(As a result of the injury to Mr Crowe on Elwood Beach a meeting between the EPA, the Department of Human Services and the bayside councils, the State Government decided to give bayside councils a further $300,000 a year to clean beaches and install additional bins for the safe disposal of needles.)
A number of councils have claimed that they are already doing their best. They claim they use mechanical beachcombers to sift the sand between one and three times a week.
Councils also claim they have cleaners on foot manually cleaning the beaches, sometimes as often as a couple of times a day.
The fourth argument offered against the need for councils or the State Government, to take further action is that the problem is probably best addressed by individual beach users.
According to this line of argument, if the risk of a needle stick injury can never be completely removed by the action of either councils or the State Government, then beach goers have to ensure their own safety.
This point has been made by Colleen Toomey, in a letter published in the Herald Sun on January 13, 2000.
Ms Toomey advised, 'Beware the used needles as you go into the water ... I wear thick running shoes even as I swim. Please, everybody, take care.'
Mr David Spokes, the City of Port Phillip services manager, has made a similar point.
Mr Spokes has stated, 'Shoes should always be worn at the beach.
Regular beach users may also consider taking hep. B vaccinations as part of their personal immunisation program.'
Arguments suggesting State and local governments should not do more to address the problem of discarded syringes
There are three main sets of argument offered by those who believe that the State and local governments should be doing more to address the problem of syringe disposal.
The first set of arguments are offered by those who believe that the problem with syringe disposal indicates the general failure of current means used to discourage drug use.
Those who hold this point of view frequently argue for what is referred to as a 'harm minimisation' approach which accepts that there will always be a level of drug use within the community and that it is therefore important to reduce the harm suffered by users and non-users.
Part of the harm minimisation approach is the introduction of injection centres, where heroin users can inject in clean conditions and with access to medical help. These centres have been proposed by the Victorian State government. Their introduction is opposed by the Federal Government.
This position has been summarised in an Age editorial published on January 16, 2000.
The editorial states, '... the present approaches to the problem of drug addict are not working.
The policies of zero tolerance favoured by the Federal Government have not been successful, here or overseas, in curbing the spread of drug abuse. Indeed there is every indication the problem is getting worse. It was once uncommon to see used syringes in parks and back streets all over Melbourne.
On the other hand, the 'harm minimisation' approach, which includes the use of supervised injecting rooms, has been shown overseas to reduce drug-related crime, deaths from overdoses and the incidence of HIV.'
The establishment of supervised injection centres has been recommended as one way of helping to overcome the problem of syringe disposal.
The establishment of supervised injecting centres has been proposed by Mr Jonathan Crowe, the Victorian lifesaver who received a needle stick injury on Elwood Beach.
Mr Crowe has stated, 'It's going to stop or reduce the risk of us treading on needles if people are shooting up in rooms and leaving their needles in rooms.'
Similar points have been made by numerous letter writers to both The Age and The Herald Sun.
One such suggestion was made by Beverley Foreman in a letter published in The Herald Sun on January 14, 2000.
Ms Foreman states, 'I was always against making it easy for heroin addicts by offering them shoot-up rooms, but if it means the rest of the world is safe from their discarded syringes then let's have them on every corner.'
Those who favour the introduction of injection rooms, in part as a means of reducing syringe disposal problems, believe this is an area where State and Federal Governments should be taking further action.
The second argument offered by those who believe that more needs to be done to address the problem of syringe disposal is that needle exchange programs need to be implemented more vigorously.
According to this line of argument, if those who use needle exchange programs were actually required to supply a used needle before they received a new one, this would go along way toward removing the problem of inappropriate syringe disposal.
This point has been made by many of those who have written to the papers on the issue.
This point has been made by Warwick Murphy, of Drug-Arm Victoria, in a letter published in The Herald Sun on January 12, 2000.
Mr Murphy criticised the current manner in which needles are exchanged, stating, 'Last year, in Victoria alone, more than three million needles were handed out. Fewer than 50 per cent were returned or collected.'
Mr Murphy concluded, 'We need to end the free distribution of needles and ask for some accountability from the users.'
Mr Murphy also suggests that retractable needles be issued as part of the operation of needle exchange programs.
A similar point was made by Ron Young, in a letter published in The Herald Sun on January 13, 2000.
The letter states, '.. if you do not present your used needle then you do not receive one in exchange.
If this is not happening then it should be strictly enforced.
If necessary, an addict could be sent out to get one off the beach or out of the gutter.'
The third argument offered by those who would have State and local governments do more to address the problem of syringe disposal is that insufficient has been done to deal with the problem as a street hygiene and public education issue.
According to this line of argument there should be more beach clean-ups; more syringe disposal bins; and more signage warning of syringe hazards and encouraging their safe disposal.
It has also been suggested that there should be a regular monitoring of beaches to check the extent of syringe littering. Related to this it has been suggested that beaches could be rated on the basis of the number of syringes found.
This point has been made by Dr Brian Robinson of the Environment protection Authority.
Dr Robinson has claimed that there are some particular beaches were a greater clean-up effort needs to be made. He has suggested that a rating system be established to warn of beaches likely to be littered with discarded syringes.
A similar point has been put by the Victorian Health Minister, Mr John Thwaites, who has claimed, '... we must have the best possible beach cleaning and we also have to try to promote safer disposal practices by users.'
Criticisms have been made of the results of the meeting between the Environment Protection Authority, bayside councils and the Victorian Department of Human Services.
The State Government has promised to give bayside councils a further $300,000 to help get rid of syringes from the foreshores.
The money is to be spent primarily on installing more syringe disposal boxes, on more frequent beach cleaning and on installing more litter traps in stormwater drains to stop rubbish washing up on beaches.
Critics have suggested that $300,000 is too little to be spread across the eleven bayside councils for these purposes.
Further implications
It seems unlikely that any action taken by either local councils or the State Government will completely remove syringes from Victoria's beaches.
What does seem likely is that the measures being put in place will, collectively, have an impact on the problem.
In addition to the expenditure on more frequent beach cleaning, extra syringe disposal boxes and stormwater drain litter traps, a taskforce will be looking at year-round beach cleaning methods and at drug education campaigns to teach people how to dispose of syringes safely.
Interestingly, one of the consequences of the recent media attention given to the problem of syringes on beaches is that it has had an impact on the supervised injecting room debate.
For some people it appears to have hardened attitudes.
Among those who oppose the rooms there are now those who see the syringe litter problem as evidence that drug users are too irresponsible to use injection centres appropriately.
On the other hand, for some supporters of the rooms it has supplied an additional reason for their introduction - the hope of getting the needles off the streets.
However, it is noteworthy is that there appear to be those who have had their position on the issue changed by the syringe disposal problem. Among those who have written to the papers there are a number who have claimed that the desire to get syringes off the beaches has caused them to support injection rooms where previously they did not.
What the syringe disposal problem appears to have done is to have personalised the issue for many Victorians. Many may have little sympathy with drug users but they want a way found to ensure that they and their children will be able to enjoy the beaches and the parks of Victoria without having to be unduly worried about needle-stick injuries.
The strength of popular reaction to the problem appears to be excessive as the risk of contracting a blood-borne disease from a syringe discarded on the beach is very slight. However, Victoria's beaches seem to have a powerful symbolic significance for people as family playgrounds, while illicit drug use and its detritus are judged very harshly. People do not appear to be prepared to have the two brought together.
Sources
The Age
10/1/00 page 1 news item by Darrin Farrant and Victoria Button, 'Risks reduce an ironman to tears'
11/1/00 page 3 news item by Kerry Taylor and Meaghan Shaw, 'Councils look for needle strategies'
11/1/00 page 10 editorial, 'High tide in the drugs debate'
11/1/00 page 1 (Business section) news item by Stephen Dabkowski, 'Timely launch of fail-safe syringe product'
12/1/00 page 10 letter from Warwick Murphy, 'Making drug users accountable'
12/1/00 page 10 letter from David Samson, 'But little real risk from needles'
13/1/00 page 12 letter from Judy Wilmot, 'Users need more bins for syringes'
The Australian
10/1/00 page 3 news item by Alison Crosweller, 'Discarded syringe jab reduces an ironman to tears'
14/1/00 page 7 news item by Martin Chulov, 'Needle jab ordeal as drugs blight bush'
15/1/00 page 10 news item by Alison Crosweller and Loise Milligan, 'Litter traps enlisted in syringe war'
The Herald Sun
10/1/00 page 3 news item by Nicola Webber and Inga Gilchrist, 'Needle dumping alert on beaches'
10/1/00 page 39 news item by Michael Gleeson, 'Dirt day for surf'
11/1/00 page 1 news item by Nicola Webber, Michelle Rose and Kelly Ryan, 'Needle warnings for bay beaches'
11/1/00 page 2 news item, 'Long wait filled with hope and hard work'
11/1/00 page 18 editorial, 'Our risky beaches'
11/1/00 page 19 analysis by Nicola Webber, 'Beached by needles'
12/1/00 page 9 news item by Nicola Webber and Regina Titelius, 'Clean beaches or else, councils told'
12/1/00 page 16 letters from Adrian Jackson and Warwick Murphy under the general heading, 'Junkie service industry out of control'
12/1/00 page 17 letters from Alex Hutchinson and Jenny Honey
13/1/00 page 16 four letters under the general heading, 'Needles puncture beach lifestyle'
13/1/00 page 16 letters from Chris Beattie, Ron Young and Des Harty, dealing with needle exchange and syringe management
13/1/00 page 16 four vox pop responses to the question, 'In the light of the needle menace, would you hesitate to visit our bay beaches?'
13/1/00 page 17 letters from Gilbert Icke, John Harris and Jan Jeanes, dealing with needle exchange, syringe management and drug prohibition
14/1/00 page 9 news item by Regina Titelius, 'Tests for needle boy'
14/1/00 page 18 letter, 'A user's view on drugs'
14/1/00 page 19 letters from Beverley H Foreman and P Fellows
15/1/00 page 11 news item by Regina Titelius, 'Crackdown on syringe scourge'
16/1/00 page 13 editorial, 'Modern-day beach hazards'