Mr BURKE - 1994-08-23
Like many Darwin residents, I was disturbed recently by the discovery of what could be described only as an intravenous drug users hideaway located in the Darwin central business district. What steps is the Minister taking in relation to the dispensing, retrieval and safe disposal of syringes handed out free of charge by the NT AIDS Council as part of its responsibility under the needle exchange program which, as we all know, operates using taxpayers' funds?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, many residents of Darwin are concerned about this issue, as is the member for Brennan, and I must say that I share those concerns. In that light, I wrote to the General Manager of the Northern Territory AIDS Council, Mr Bill Davies, a week or so ago, expressing concerns that I have in relation to the implementation of the needle exchange program, and emphasising to him that it is indeed an exchange program.
I recognise that the Northern Territory AIDS Council has achieved results far in excess of those that have been achieved interstate inasmuch as some 40% of the syringes that are issued by the council are returned to it. However, when we are talking about some 3000 to 4000 syringes issued monthly, that still leaves an enormous gap in the number of syringes that are not returned in exchange. I have suggested to the General manager of the NT AIDS Council that more emphasis must be placed on the exchange nature of the program and that the council is best placed to do that.
It seems to me that the staff concerned with the issue of syringes have, in their face-to-face contact with drug users seeking syringes from the council, an ideal opportunity to emphasise the point by asking for used syringes to be returned in the containers that are provided with the fit kits for their disposal in a responsible manner. There is another opportunity at the time when new syringes are issued to reinforce to the recipients that, if those syringes are used, they should be exchanged on their next visit to the AIDS Council to seek new syringes. This is a most important matter. I recognise the demands placed on the AIDS Council, including the difficulties of implementing the program, but it is a matter in which we cannot be lax.
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The people of the Northern Territory demand that we increase among drug users the level of awareness of the concerns in the community. There is little point in providing syringes to drug users to protect their health and ensure that they are not exposed to communicable diseases if they act irresponsibly in respect of the disposal of those syringes and place at risk the broader community. As Minister for Health and Community Services, I will not tolerate actions of that kind.
I am sure that the AIDS Council will be responsive to my calls. It is funded by the Northern Territory and federal governments on a 50:50 basis. I have alerted it to the fact that, if there are no improvements in the implementation of the needle exchange program, then it should not be assumed that Territory government funding will continue. On the contrary, it will be examined very seriously. We are looking for improvements in the administration of the program and we are looking for an increase in the numbers of syringes that are exchanged. Additional funding of $16 000 has been provided on a short-term basis to assist the NT AIDS Council to upgrade its education programs.
We will be looking extremely closely at that trial and what it might achieve. However, may I now alert drug users to the fact that we will be pursuing this matter. We have the example of the disgraceful episode at McMinn Street where, adjacent to the AIDS Council, people were shooting up and not even bothering to use the safe receptacles provided by the AIDS Council for the responsible disposal of the syringes. If that kind of behaviour is repeated, the government will pursue the known locations used for such purposes and ensure that these people get the message that irresponsible behaviour will not be tolerated and that the government will not allow the broader community of Darwin to be put at risk by drug users. That will not be tolerated by the community and it will not be tolerated by this government. I applaud the honourable member for Brennan for bringing this matter to the attention of the House.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, many residents of Darwin are concerned about this issue, as is the member for Brennan, and I must say that I share those concerns. In that light, I wrote to the General Manager of the Northern Territory AIDS Council, Mr Bill Davies, a week or so ago, expressing concerns that I have in relation to the implementation of the needle exchange program, and emphasising to him that it is indeed an exchange program.
I recognise that the Northern Territory AIDS Council has achieved results far in excess of those that have been achieved interstate inasmuch as some 40% of the syringes that are issued by the council are returned to it. However, when we are talking about some 3000 to 4000 syringes issued monthly, that still leaves an enormous gap in the number of syringes that are not returned in exchange. I have suggested to the General manager of the NT AIDS Council that more emphasis must be placed on the exchange nature of the program and that the council is best placed to do that.
It seems to me that the staff concerned with the issue of syringes have, in their face-to-face contact with drug users seeking syringes from the council, an ideal opportunity to emphasise the point by asking for used syringes to be returned in the containers that are provided with the fit kits for their disposal in a responsible manner. There is another opportunity at the time when new syringes are issued to reinforce to the recipients that, if those syringes are used, they should be exchanged on their next visit to the AIDS Council to seek new syringes. This is a most important matter. I recognise the demands placed on the AIDS Council, including the difficulties of implementing the program, but it is a matter in which we cannot be lax.
Page 45
The people of the Northern Territory demand that we increase among drug users the level of awareness of the concerns in the community. There is little point in providing syringes to drug users to protect their health and ensure that they are not exposed to communicable diseases if they act irresponsibly in respect of the disposal of those syringes and place at risk the broader community. As Minister for Health and Community Services, I will not tolerate actions of that kind.
I am sure that the AIDS Council will be responsive to my calls. It is funded by the Northern Territory and federal governments on a 50:50 basis. I have alerted it to the fact that, if there are no improvements in the implementation of the needle exchange program, then it should not be assumed that Territory government funding will continue. On the contrary, it will be examined very seriously. We are looking for improvements in the administration of the program and we are looking for an increase in the numbers of syringes that are exchanged. Additional funding of $16 000 has been provided on a short-term basis to assist the NT AIDS Council to upgrade its education programs.
We will be looking extremely closely at that trial and what it might achieve. However, may I now alert drug users to the fact that we will be pursuing this matter. We have the example of the disgraceful episode at McMinn Street where, adjacent to the AIDS Council, people were shooting up and not even bothering to use the safe receptacles provided by the AIDS Council for the responsible disposal of the syringes. If that kind of behaviour is repeated, the government will pursue the known locations used for such purposes and ensure that these people get the message that irresponsible behaviour will not be tolerated and that the government will not allow the broader community of Darwin to be put at risk by drug users. That will not be tolerated by the community and it will not be tolerated by this government. I applaud the honourable member for Brennan for bringing this matter to the attention of the House.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016