Medically supervised injecting facilities
Gabrielle DE VIETRI (Richmond) (14:25): My question is for the Premier. 584 people died last year from a drug overdose. Three-quarters of them were in metropolitan Melbourne. That is the highest number of deaths per year in a decade, each one a life tragically lost – a family member, a loved one. Coronial data and health experts warn that the death toll will just keep rising without urgent intervention, and that means more supervised injecting rooms. The only one in Victoria, in my electorate, has safely managed thousands of overdoses, but it is simply not enough. Medically supervised injecting centres save lives and provide pathways to recovery. We desperately need more, and we came so close to having one. With this new tragic figure – 584 people dead – will the Premier now reconsider the government’s position and open more supervised injecting rooms?
Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:26): In acknowledging the member for Richmond’s question, can I reiterate the government’s position, which was outlined in the statewide drug action plan that we released early last year. It reiterated our commitment to the medically supervised injecting facility in Richmond in acknowledgement that it saves lives. It is a facility that saves lives and is supporting many with the challenge of dealing with their drug addiction and the need to have a supported environment. But our statewide action plan went further than just the inner city. It acknowledged that people with addiction and people who need mental health and drug and alcohol support live in all parts of our state, which is why, as part of our response and to provide more supports on a statewide basis, we have moved to undertake a number of measures – for example, rolling out an increased number of naloxone vending machines. It is a life-saving treatment for people who are experiencing an overdose. Making that life-saving treatment more available statewide will save lives.
We are also increasing the support for access to pharmacotherapy services – again, an important life-saving treatment and something that needs to be supported on a statewide basis. The challenge of dealing with drug addiction is not just found in the inner city; it is found in the suburbs, in regional centres and in country towns as well. Also I am proud that we have introduced pill testing, both at fixed and mobile service sites across the state, again providing particularly young people access to not just a potentially life-saving service but also the opportunity to be educated and to receive advice as well, hopefully minimising their potentially dangerous and risk-taking behaviour. This is just some of the action that we have already taken and will continue to take on the advice of experts to ensure that we are providing appropriate treatment services on a statewide basis.
Gabrielle DE VIETRI (Richmond) (14:28): I thank the Premier for her answer. Of course the Greens fully support the statewide drug strategy. I am really proud to host many of its initiatives in my own electorate. But still I regularly hear from residents who support harm reduction, who support the supervised injecting room and who are concerned about the increase in drug use and overdoses in our community and on our streets. Limited outreach services do an amazing job, but they simply cannot keep up with the scale of the problem. It is clear the drug strategy is just not enough. The pharmacotherapy hydromorphone trial, for example, is for just 30 people across the state, when deaths reached 600 last year. Premier, what modelling has the government done to show that the statewide drug strategy will actually reduce overdoses in Melbourne and across the state?
Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:29): The experts – the health experts – who work in this field every single day. I want to acknowledge, too, the leadership of the Minister for Mental Health. I only mentioned some of the initiatives that we have taken. We also introduced for the first time a chief medical officer who will be responsible for dealing with matters of addiction so that there is more support, and more coordinated support, on a statewide basis. These are just some of the measures, and we will continue to work with those drug, mental health and alcohol experts so we can continue to provide more support to people right across the state.