Maribyrnong has retained its reputation as one of Melbourne’s heroin overdose hotspots.
New figures released last week show paramedics were called to 137 heroin-related incidents in Maribyrnong and a further 34 in Hobsons Bay in 2013-14.
The latest report by drug and alcohol centre Turning Point revealed there were 80 ambulance call-outs in Maribyrnong and 18 in Hobsons Bay for heroin overdoses. This puts Maribyrnong behind only Yarra and the inner city for the state’s highest rate of heroin-fuelled call-outs.
There was also a dramatic spike from 2012-13 to 2013-14 in ambulance crews dealing with people affected by amphetamines and ice.
Amphetamine call-outs in Maribyrnong almost tripled from 15 to 43, although Hobsons Bay dipped from 28 to 23.
Crystal meth (ice)-related ambulance attendances soared from 14 to 38 in Maribyrnong but fell from 19 to 14 in Hobsons Bay. Alcohol remained the biggest cause of ambulance call-outs in the inner west, jumping from 276 to 385 in Maribyrnong and 228 to 241 in Hobsons Bay.
Turning Point’s head of research, Belinda Lloyd, said the 10 per cent jump in ice-related ambulance attendances across Melbourne was a worrying trend.
“Healthcare organisations, law enforcement agencies, government and the community in general have certainly made a concerted effort to tackle the issue of ice,” she said.
“But we still need to get the message out about the dangers of crystal methamphetamine.”
Associate Professor Lloyd said alcohol still caused the highest number of drug-related ambulance call-outs.
Release of the figures coincides with the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation targeting public drinking by granting a 12-month extension to Footscray as a “designated area”.
The provision grants police powers to ban a person from the area for up to 72 hours or seek a court order to ban repeat offenders for up to a year.
For drug and alcohol support, call DirectLine (1800 888 236) or visit www.counsellingonline.org.au
