Pubdate: Wed, 28 Nov 2001
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2001 The Age Company Ltd
Contact:  http://www.theage.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5
Author: Mark Robinson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Safe Injecting Rooms)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?131 (Heroin Maintenance)

ADDICTS FAVOR COCAINE

Cocaine was injected more frequently than heroin in the first six months of 
the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre at Kings Cross, Sydney, according 
to a report to be released today.

The drug was also responsible for almost a third of overdoses at the centre 
- - 87 by the end of October. But no deaths had occurred and only two 
patients had been taken to hospital after they overdosed on tranquillisers.

The figures are included in the official evaluation report on centre's 
first six months of operation, to be presented today at the National Drug 
and Alcohol Research Centre's annual symposium in Sydney.

It delivers no conclusions on the success of the controversial centre but 
gives the most comprehensive picture so far of its daily operation and the 
habits of its clients.

After a relatively quiet start in May, there are now more than 100 visits a 
day to the shopfront centre, which has 1503 registered users.

Users had made an average of eight visits, although the number varied from 
one to 335.
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MAP posted-by: Jackl