Shooting up safely
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (386757)
Rockingham, Australia
July 10, 2026 12:20am CST
A medically-supervised injecting room facility in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond is due to close, despite statistics showing a decrease in heroin-related ambulance call-outs. Over the first five and a half years, call-outs for drug-related incidents dropped by 71%. A number of overdoses have been treated too and no deaths have occurred.
However, the facility is situated between a primary school and public housing towers, with the result that local residents want it closed. There are a number of other factors at play. Locals say crime in the area has increased, as has the number of ‘undesirables’ and homeless.
Such a facility seems a good thing to me but I don’t have to live in the area.
And just to lighten the tone a little here's a sign I saw in Melbourne.
Uh oh. Looks like loading photos isn't happening at the moment.
20 people like this
17 responses
@Juliaacv (57179)
• Canada
10 Jul
@LadyDuck They have specific by-laws as to where they can be located, and how many M from schools, places of worship, senior homes......there is quite a strict list of criteria they have to follow to gain city hall's approval, and then there is always very vocal push back from the neighbourhood they want to establish themselves into.
2 people like this
@crossbones27 (53562)
• Mojave, California
11 Jul
Are you trying hampsterdam Best of luck
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1 person likes this
@crossbones27 (53562)
• Mojave, California
11 Jul
@JudyEv Yeah and was talked about for awhile till it was not. People know one thing interesting idea but if it has no chance they will never look at it again.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (45389)
• Denver, Colorado
10 Jul
They don't seem to be very popular here, either.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (386757)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Jul
@teamfreak16 I don't think it's quite that bad here but it's still not good.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (45389)
• Denver, Colorado
10 Jul
@JudyEv - Here, people don't even like homeless shelters in their neighborhoods. Actually, they have really dehumanized homeless people here. They actually think most homeless people chose to be homeless.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (211923)
• United States
10 Jul
Maybe they should try to put it in a more out of the way area.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (192662)
• Boise, Idaho
10 Jul
I see both pros and cons. I've heard of these injecting rooms being a lot of help, but I guess there is a downside to such things.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (192662)
• Boise, Idaho
11 Jul
@JudyEv ........they should figure a better location.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (386757)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Jul
I think we've all got used to it now and just carry on until the glitch is fixed. I hope you're going okay.
@wolfgirl569 (139524)
• Marion, Ohio
10 Jul
Too bad they have to close but I understand the residents
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (100050)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
10 Jul
About the photo loading I have noticed that sometimes I need to get a free resize of the photo online before I can put it up here. From what I remember photos should not be larger than 3 MB, Usually mine load but if they don't I resize,
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (52081)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
10 Jul
Yeah, "they" just shut down the one in my area, too.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (24201)
• United Kingdom
10 Jul
Serioously the senior managers can't see the wood from the trees & have made a very bad decision. In the long term it will cost them far more not to mention the rise in deaths, robberies etc.
They do the same in the UK. They close facilities unwisely which just causes misery & costs more not only financially but socially.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (386757)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Jul
I think it is very foolish to close the facility. Maybe find a better place for it but closing it isn't a good idea at all.
