Report on Drug Injecting Rooms

TODAY’S report on drug injecting rooms does not recommend introducing them in Victoria, says Shadow Minister for Mental Health Emma Kealy.

Daniel Andrews is trying to walk both sides of the street, claiming to be tough on crime but allowing senior Labor MPs to advocate in support of government-sanctioned drug abuse.

The time for having a bet each way is over, Daniel Andrews must now rule out introducing drug injecting rooms in Victorian suburbs and towns.

It’s clear there’s a lack of community support for government-sanctioned drug injecting rooms popping up around our suburbs.

Everyone knows that if a drug injecting room is introduced into the Richmond community, it’s inevitable more will pop up across the state in suburbs like Bentleigh, Northcote, Frankston and Mentone and towns like Bendigo, Morwell and Geelong.

There’s no such thing as a safe injecting room for deadly and dangerous drugs like heroin and Ice.

It sends the wrong message to our kids and effectively says we’ve given up on preventing drug use.

Not only is it illegal, but you can’t use heroin or Ice safely.

The former Liberal-Nationals government funded three residential rehabilitation facilities but Daniel Andrews cut funding for this critically important measure.

A better approach is helping addicts, more police on the beat and toughening up our laws to punish parasitic drug dealers and traffickers.

In Victoria, we need to take a tougher stance on criminal behaviour and that is why a Liberal-Nationals government would toughen our bail, youth justice and sentencing laws to send a strong message to criminals.

Please download this press release as a PDF