Richmond Supervised Injecting Facility Halves Heroin Emergency Calls, Report Reveals
A recent comprehensive analysis has revealed a significant reduction in heroin-related ambulance call-outs in Richmond and surrounding areas since the opening of Melbourne's medically supervised injecting facility. The findings indicate a nearly 71 per cent decrease in emergency responses in its first five years of operation, underscoring the facility's impact on public health.
Data compiled from the National Ambulance Surveillance System, meticulously examined by researchers from Monash University and Turning Point, highlights a dramatic shift in emergency service demand. When the facility commenced operations in June 2018, paramedics were responding to approximately 48 heroin-related incidents monthly across Richmond and Abbotsford. This rate, previously on an upward trajectory, has now plummeted to an average of just 14 calls per month by December 2023, representing a 70.7 per cent decline over the five-and-a-half-year period. These findings were recently published in the International Journal of Drug Policy.
The Richmond facility, strategically located amidst a primary school and public housing towers, was established with the critical aim of curbing the escalating number of overdoses concentrated around Victoria Street. Before its inception, the area recorded an alarming 123 heroin-related ambulance call-outs per 100,000 people in June 2018, starkly contrasting with 18 per 100,000 in the wider Melbourne area and 3.3 per 100,000 across Victoria. Since its opening, the centre has managed thousands of overdose events on-site, with no reported deaths within its premises and independent reviews estimating dozens of lives have been saved.
Broader Impact and Persistent Concerns
While the Richmond facility demonstrates a pronounced local effect, reductions in heroin-related ambulance call-outs were also observed elsewhere in the state. Central Melbourne saw a 43 per cent decrease, and the rest of Victoria experienced a 36 per cent drop, though these were less significant when adjusted for population density. The statewide analysis encompassed over 24,000 ambulance calls spanning nine years, providing a robust overview of trends.
Despite these demonstrable health benefits, the facility's location continues to be a contentious issue for some local residents and businesses. Critics argue that the centre has not improved local amenity. Last year, City of Yarra councillors withdrew their support for the current site of the Richmond centre, citing ongoing community safety concerns.
City of Yarra Mayor Stephen Jolly, while acknowledging the ambulance data suggests a need for more supervised injecting facilities across Melbourne, has also voiced concerns regarding the local impact. He asserts that the number of people injecting drugs both inside and outside the facility remains high, describing the situation for nearby residents as "hell." He also contended that crime had worsened in the area. However, recent data from the Crime Statistics Agency indicates that the criminal incident rate in Yarra decreased over the last 12 months, though it remains higher than levels recorded in 2017 and 2018.
The Shifting Landscape of Overdose and Treatment
Paradoxically, while specific heroin-related emergency calls have decreased, overall overdose deaths across Victoria have unfortunately risen. Data from the Coroner's Court indicates that last year marked the deadliest year for overdoses in a decade, with illicit drugs increasingly contributing to these fatalities over the past ten years. It was also noted that 21 people tragically died from heroin overdoses in the City of Yarra in 2024 alone, though the City of Melbourne has now surpassed Yarra as the area with the highest number of heroin-related overdose deaths.
Professor Dan Lubman, an expert from Turning Point and the Monash Addiction Research Centre, underscored the importance of ambulance call-out data in providing a more comprehensive understanding of heroin-related harm beyond just fatalities. "The steepest change is what we're seeing precisely where the service operates," Professor Lubman explained. "That area went from more than six times the central Melbourne rate [of call-outs per capita] down to about three. The service isn't only saving lives inside its doors. It means fewer overdoses in streets, parks and laneways around it, and that's a benefit for the whole neighbourhood."
The study's authors further suggest that the compiled data points to the potential value of establishing additional supervised injecting facilities. However, in 2024, plans for a second such facility in Melbourne's CBD were shelved by Premier Jacinta Allan, following a well-organized public campaign opposing its establishment.
Beyond overdose prevention, the Richmond facility, integrated with the North Richmond Community Health centre on Lennox Street, plays a crucial role in connecting individuals with vital wraparound services. These include heroin treatment programs, dental care, and other health and legal support. Professor Lubman also speculated that the broader statewide trend of decreasing ambulance call-outs, despite an increase in overdose deaths, might be partly attributed to the growing availability and use of naloxone, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses, which is now freely accessible.
Challenges persist within the broader drug and alcohol treatment landscape. The Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA) recently highlighted a concerning trend: the waitlist for drug and alcohol treatment services more than doubled between September 2020 and May of this year, indicating a growing demand that outstrips current capacity.