The Australian Medical Association (AMA) Victoria says it's time to trial safe injecting rooms in Melbourne, claiming it will save lives and minimise the harm illicit drugs do to society.
The AMA Victoria launched a position paper on Tuesday calling for the establishment of a supervised injecting facility trial in Melbourne.
AMA Victoria president Stephen Parnis said safe injecting rooms have the capacity to reduce the number of deaths from drug overdose, reduce ambulance call-outs and hospital admissions, improve patient outcomes and improve public order.
Dr Parnis said they can also prevent overdose and help control the spread of Hepatitis C, which is of increasingly high prevalence amongst Victorian drug users.
'Supervised injecting facilities have worked to reduce harm in Sydney's King's Cross and we're hopeful they can do the same in Melbourne's drug hotspots,' Dr Parnis said.
He said a safe supervised injecting facility would help to get addicts off the street and lead to better health and public order outcomes.
'The evidence is quite clear, safe injecting rooms can save lives and minimise the harm to the community caused by illicit drugs,' he said.
