Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 10 Hansard (24 November) . . Page.. 2798 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

One of the other things that I think are very important to understand is that, although we must always treat the needles themselves with great care and we have to be aware of the transmission of hepatitis C and the transmission of HIV/AIDS, because we have had that needle exchange program, when we do comparisons between Australia and the rest of the world we find that the way we tackle the epidemic by taking this harm minimisation approach has been incredibly successful.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Osborne, do you want to ask a supplementary question?

MR OSBORNE: I was caught short there, Mr Speaker. Mr Moore was speaking on drugs. I expected it to go a lot longer. My supplementary question, Minister, is this: Is what you are saying - because I did miss the figures - that you are hoping that 30 per cent are going into landfill; that potentially they could be lying around somewhere out there in the community, but you do not think they are? Can you just clarify that for me? I tend not to listen, Mr Speaker, when he is talking about this subject. My natural instinct is just to shut off.

MR SPEAKER: I think you just have to answer it verbally, not in any physical sense.

MR MOORE: Thank you for that question, Mr Osborne. You will understand if it takes me quite some time to answer this part of the question. What I was saying in the conclusion to my last comment, and I would like to carry on from there, was that the reduction in the epidemic of HIV in Australia compared to almost anywhere else in the world has been quite extraordinary and it is a fantastic success story for harm minimisation. With regard to the particular 30 per cent that we are talking of, it is a presumption on my part that they go to landfill. They do not tend to turn up in other places. I think it is a reasonable presumption to make; but it is just that, a presumption. I understand that some needles are returned through pharmacies, and they in turn are distributed to the disposal facility which is part of the Totalcare facility in Mitchell.

In order to further enhance needle and syringe distribution and disposal, the Health Department has undertaken to conduct an evaluation of the ACT needle and syringe exchange program. A consultant will be employed to investigate the processes of needle and syringe distribution, disposal and collection in the ACT. Consultants will map current disposal bin size and location, as well as investigating mechanisms for improving after-hours access to needle and syringe service provision. In fact, applications for that consultancy closed on 6 November.

So, although there has been something like a 43 per cent increase in the number of sharps being appropriately disposed of in terms of what comes through from Mr Smyth's department and a 15 per cent decrease in the number that are left in public places, it does appear that we are getting a significant improvement in the way they are being dealt with. Mr Osborne, if you go, as Mr Rugendyke did, to the Drug Referral and Information Centre upstairs in East Row you will see part of the reason why. The advertising that the peers themselves are doing is saying, "It is our credibility at stake here". I think you understand that there has been a recent impact, but we are beginning an evaluation of it to make sure that, whatever we do, we continue to improve the collection rate and we also reduce the number of needles that are being left around.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .