Establishing safe injecting rooms in Australia: attitudes of injecting drug users

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the attitudes of injecting drug users (IDUs) towards the establishment of safe injecting rooms (SIRs) in Melbourne, Australia. Methods: Multi‐site convenience sampling at Needle and Syringe Exchange Programs (NSEPs) within six Melbourne suburbs. Four hundred current IDUs were recruited directly through NSEP and participant snowballing. Respondents completed either a semi‐structured interview, anonymous self‐report questionnaire, face‐to‐face interview or participated in a focus group. Participants were asked to report on their knowledge and attitudes about SIR, their experiences and concerns as participants of street‐based illicit drug markets, and their willingness to use SIRs if established. Results: Participants (91%) were knowledgeable about the SIR issue and thought such a strategy had potential to address both personal and wider community harms associated with public injecting. Most (77%) indicated they would be willing to use a SIR if established in Melbourne. Gender, lifetime non‐fatal overdose episodes and frequency of heroin use were all significantly related to a person's willingness to use SIRs. A significant number also reported a preference for injecting at their own place of residence due to concerns regarding privacy, safety and police presence within street‐based market places. Conclusions: This study has identified a number of important issues relating to the likely demand and uptake of SIRs that should be addressed when considering the feasibility of establishing SIRs within Australia.

Preference to have used a medically supervised injecting centre among injecting drug users in Kings Cross, Sydney

“…This was similar to another Australian study 4 which also found high rates of willingness to use such an injecting facility among injecting drug users in Victoria. A limitation to the interpretation of this high level of preference to use an MSIC in this study is that the respondents did not know what the nature of an MSIC in Kings Cross would be, since it had not yet been established.…”

Changes in public order after the opening of a medically supervised safer injecting facility for illicit injection drug users

“…26 Our findings are also highly plausible since more than 500 IDUs visited the facility daily after it opened, and several feasibility studies have suggested that IDUs who inject in public would be the most likely to use safer injecting facilities. 13,27 Our observations suggest that the establishment of the safer injecting facility has resulted in measurable improvements in public order, which in turn may improve the liveability of communities and benefit tourism while reducing community concerns stemming from public drug use and discarded syringes.…”

Shooting Gallery Operation in the Context of Establishing a Medically Supervised Injecting Center: Sydney, Australia

“…As found in other SIF feasibility studies, this was conditional on MSIC being near the drug market, low threshold, hygienic, safe from police intervention, and offering assistance in case overdose. 38,39 This study was limited by the survey_s small sample size and day time only fieldwork; thus, the findings may not be representative of SG users, especially primary cocaine users and sex workers who primarily use in the evening. 40 There was, however, strong convergence between the findings of the survey and the key informant interviews, which allows for greater confidence in both data sets.…”