Pubdate: Thu, 01 Jun 2000 Source: Australian Associated Press (Australia) Copyright: 2000 Australian Associated Press LEGISLATION TO PAVE WAY FOR INJECTING ROOMS INTRODUCED Legislation that could decide whether supervised injecting rooms for heroin addicts open in Melbourne was introduced by the Bracks government in state parliament today. The legislation, to be debated in the spring session, would, if passed, give parliament control over supervised injecting centres proposed for five municipalities. The Injecting Facilities Bill provides for supervised centres to be tried out for 18 months in the municipalities of Melbourne, Port Phillip, Yarra, Greater Dandenong and Maribyrnong. Health Minister John Thwaites said the new legislation aimed to fight the heroin scourge which killed 359 people in Victoria last year. 'Drug abuse is without doubt one of the major challenges facing the community today,' Mr Thwaites told parliament. 'It is a challenge that can only be met by a careful and thorough reform of our current social, health and law enforcement agencies.' The new legislation allows for a number of supervised injecting centres to be established in each municipality, provided the municipality endorses it. The Health Minister will enter into a service agreement with each operator of the injecting centre and will have the responsibility of selecting the operating agencies. The minister would also have the final responsibility of selecting the sites for the injecting rooms, which would have to be located away from kindergartens, schools or other sensitive public facilities. Each service agreement must meet criteria set out in a statewide framework, but the details of each agreement may differ. Each agreement will be presented to parliament for approval, with both the lower and upper houses given the right to veto them. A trial cannot proceed until both houses of parliament accept the plans for it. 'This ensures that the parliament will have oversight and control over the detailed operating agreements of each trial site,' Mr Thwaites told MPs. The operational hours of each injecting room may vary according to each site. Only heroin users over 18 years may use the facilities, and it will up to the operators to establish their age. Each facility may also decide to target a particular type of heroin user, such as those who are homeless. Possession of heroin outside the injecting centres will be illegal. But police will be allowed discretion on whether or not to charge any person found with small amounts of drugs near the facility and assess whether or not that person is a potential user of the facility. A person possessing a larger quantity of drugs than needed for personal use was likely to be charged. Police would patrol near the injecting rooms to stop a so-called 'honey pot' effect - in which dealers and others are drawn to the site - developing. A medical supervisor employed by the Health Department would oversee the medical side of the centres and monitor compliance with the service agreement. The government is hoping that the parliamentary control over the agreements for the injecting rooms will encourage Opposition MPs to support the legislation. Support from the Opposition is required to get the legislation through parliament's upper house, where the Liberal and National parties dominate. The legislation is expected to be debated in the Spring session of parliament. If the legislation is approved and service agreements entered into, trials could commence early next year. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk