A Braybrook father has questioned whether a community hub is the best place for a needle program after repeatedly discovering used needles and syringes in a neighbouring children’s playground.
Jason Demopoulos said that having cohealth run a needle syringe program (NSP) at the Braybrook Community Hub was a recipe for trouble, as it promoted drug use in the vicinity and exposed children to danger from inappropriately disposed syringes.
However, cohealth chief executive Lyn Morgain has defended the program, saying it actually helps reduce the number of improperly discarded syringes.
Mr Demopoulos said he had witnessed people injecting drugs in the carpark and had to look for needles and syringes any time his child wanted to play in the vicinity.
“The council has someone doing a roving patrol and cohealth does, too, but there are still often used needles around.”
Mr Demopoulos said he understood the need for the program in Braybrook but questioned whether the location was the right one.
“I don’t see the need for it to be attached to a community centre where you have children and families coming and going all day.”
Ms Morgain argued that the program helped protect community safety while minimising health risks for drug users.
“[The programs] are established in response to high levels of drug use and inappropriately discarded syringes.”
Prior to the program being staffed three years ago, Braybrook was the state’s most heavily used non-staffed service, and injecting equipment was available from a cupboard in the community hub’s foyer.
Ms Morgain said Maribyrnong council and cohealth had “carefully considered” whether to retain the program at its current site following the hub redevelopment.
In addition to Maribyrnong council’s morning sweeps, cohealth staff had carried out clean-up sweeps in and around the playground area every weekday.
Ms Morgain said the number of discarded syringes found in the sweeps had dropped by 15 per cent in the first six months of this year and represented fewer than one in 200 of the number dispensed from the service.
Council director of community services Clem Gillings said there remained a clear need for the program.
“cohealth’s NSP is an important public health initiative that prevents the spread of bloodborne viruses and reduces the harms associated with injecting drug use for people who inject and, in turn, the wider community,” she said.
“NSP workers educate injecting drug users on responsible disposal and assist in the appropriate collection and disposal of used equipment.”
Ms Gillings said there has been a there has been a recent decline in antisocial behaviour around the hub such as drug use and graffiti.
“The number of syringes reported has been minimal, with most contained in bottles and not in the area immediately surrounding the Hub.”
Syringe collection hotline (24-hour): 9688 0200
