Melbourne Injecting Centre Associated with Sharp Drop in Heroin Emergency Callouts

Melbourne Injecting Centre Associated with Sharp Drop in Heroin Emergency Callouts

09 Jul 2026

The North Richmond facility, which began operating in 2018, provides a supervised environment where people can use drugs under the care of trained health professionals. The service also offers access to mental health support, drug treatment programs, wound care and housing assistance.

Researchers examined ambulance attendance data before and after the centre opened. They found that heroin-related callouts in the local area decreased from an average of 48 per month before the service began to 14 per month by 2023.

According to the study, the decline was greater in the centre's surrounding neighbourhoods than in other parts of Melbourne and Victoria, indicating the benefits were most noticeable in the local community.

Associate Professor Marguerite Tracy said the findings add to existing evidence showing supervised injecting services can reduce health risks for people who inject drugs while providing pathways to treatment and support.

She noted that while the positive outcomes were seen in the areas closest to the service, people who use drugs live in many different communities. Expanding access to similar services could help more people benefit from the same level of care and support.

The research was carried out by Monash University and Turning Point using information from the National Ambulance Surveillance System, which tracks alcohol and other drug-related harms across Australia.

Melbourne Injecting Centre Associated with Sharp Drop in Heroin Emergency Callouts

Source: newsGP, International Journal of Drug Policy

 
 

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