DRUG SYRINGE RISKS
A syringe was used to commit and armed robbery of a shop assistant in a late night robbery in Melbourne.
The female robber threatened to stab the shop assistant with the syringe and fought with the assistant causing injuries.
After the struggle the shop assistant handed over a small amount of money to the woman with the syringe.
(Source: Crime Stoppers 14 April 2009).
The Drug Advisory Council of Australia comments-
The issue of widespread availability of syringes in the community makes available the possibility of syringes being used as weapons in robberies and in attacks on people.
As well syringes are left around in public places causing injury to children and adults alike.
Current syringe programs as part of the harm minimization drug policies are not exchange programs but are syringe distribution with many syringes given out at one time.
The effect of these syringe distribution programs funded by our taxes is to maintain drug users in their drug use.
Usually the most harmful illicit drugs are injected by drug users so the harm of syringe use is likely to be more profound.
Drug injecting users are likely to be hard core users which most likely will mean the syringes are used in drug deaths.
Our council does not support syringe distribution programs but believes that illicit drug users should be diverted into detoxification and then rehabilitation to get them free of injecting drugs.
Drug diversion rehabilitation programs remove syringes from the community so that they cannot be used as weapons or in accidents.
More detoxification & rehabilitation that gets illicit drug users drug free.
Court ordered and supervised detoxification & rehabilitation.
Less illicit drug users, drug pushers and drug related crimes. 12/2009