THE HARM FROM TAXPAYER FUNDED SYRINGES
Taxpayer funded syringe distribution is harming our community by –
· Helping addicts to continue using drugs instead of helping them to get drug free through detoxification and rehabilitation
· Helping drug related crime as addicts get crime money for heroin and syringe distribution centres are honeypots for crime
· Creating victims of drug related crime who suffer physical or mental abuse
· Wasting law enforcement resources on drug related crime committed by addicts being kept on drugs who give money from crime to drug pushers
· Helping drug pushers to sell heroin to addicts who are kept on drugs
· Helping addicts to get infected with hepatitis and AIDS using tax funded syringes as studies show both are increasing for drug addicts
· Wasting taxes on syringes instead of detoxification and rehabilitation
· Wasting taxes on syringe clean up which should be used to help addicts get off drugs as less than half all syringes are returned
· Providing weapons for drug related crime as tax funded syringes are used to threaten victims
· Sending the wrong message of support and normalization of drug use
· Innocent victims being injured by discarded tax funded syringes maliciously left in public places
· Providing a no go area from police for pushers around syringe distribution centres
· Providing syringes to anybody even pregnant women and children
FACT SHEET 3
30/10/00