Ever since the opening of Victoria’s first injecting room in July 2018, controversy has been raised over whether or not this approach to our 'drug problem' is working for the better of our community or not. 

But what does this mean exactly?

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Who comes to mind when I say community? Your friends? Colleagues? The family next door? Those in circles of high privilege tend to forget that their 'community' consists of many vulnerable and deeply disadvantaged groups. A large proportion of these groups are made up of people who inject drugs. People that are just like us, with differing life circumstances. 

The Victorian government recently acquired a large building in the Melbourne CBD and are indicating towards possibly using this space to open a second injecting room. We need to make this happen, or our communities will suffer.

Heroin and other opioids seems to have a history of detrimental side effects to its users, families and communities. However, many drug users, harm reduction activists and medical professionals would argue that the drug itself, and the route in which it is most commonly taken (Via intravenous injection) is of no real threat if taken with proper precautions. 

The long-term health consequences of heavy opioid use seem undeniable, but these drugs alone are no more harmful than the socially acceptable, readily available ones that we choose to take. Research shows that heroin and alcohol do equal amounts of damage to the body, with alcohol causing more deaths and illness worldwide.

So why do we squirm or other ourselves from those that inject? Heroin use- especially injecting- is extremely stigmatised. This stigma derives from a lack knowledge and of understanding of the innumerable reasons behind drug use. 

Many see drug use as simply a 'poor life choice', instead of looking further into any possible underlying issues, where they may find that for some people, this "choice” isn’t much of a choice at all. Some who use drugs may be suffering from emotional pain, trauma, usually poverty or sometimes even homelessness. People living on the streets that also use heroin, may continue to use to keep warm in winter, or may use meth to stay awake at night, just so they can feel safe and alert in the case of a dangerous situation.

This stigma makes it most unsafe, meaning death and injury from taking the drug is more likely to occur.

The demonising and criminalising attitudes (and laws) towards those who use drugs are responsible for these deaths. 
Heroin that is used 'in the streets' is usually used in isolation, done quickly and done out of the way of prying eyes. But where no one is around to see you use, there is also no one able to respond if an emergency occurs. 
In an opioid overdose,  breathing slows followed by loss of consciousness. 3-5 minutes without oxygen, brain damage starts to occur, soon followed by death. With opioid overdoses, surviving or dying wholly depends on breathing and oxygen.

Death from overdose is easily preventable.

In a Safe Injecting Facility or Medically Supervised Injecting Room(MSIR), a person can take the time to look at their substance, calculate a dose that seems safe for them, prepare it in a clean & safe environment with new sterile equipment, and inject carefully and slowly in a way that causes the least amount of harm to their veins.
MSIRs were first created to be safe, non-judgemental environments that anyone over the age of 18 who injects drugs could come to, with the assurance of sterile equipment and supervision by medically trained staff in case of an overdose.

These health centres also provide access to doctors, nurses, counsellors, dentists, lawyers, housing workers, as well as outreach to any additional health or 'life'  support services needed by their clients.