Theme: Social Science & Policy Research Year: 2024
Background: The North Richmond Medically Supervised Injecting Room (MSIR) has a legislated aim to improve public amenity in the surrounding area. The facility underwent two extensive reviews during its trial tenure but there was limited data available in relation to public amenity. We aim to document levels of public amenity in the North Richmond area to address the lack of evidence.
Methods: Ongoing structured observations (n=146 as of January 2024) have been conducted in the neighbourhood surrounding the MSIR since August 2022. Field researchers capture information including public drug use, general and injecting-related litter, presence of emergency services, and construction.
Results: On each observation, field researchers observed people (M=144) and episodes of injecting drug use (M=0.5) and alcohol consumption (M=0.8); both variables peaking in February 2023 (M=1.2; M=1.7). Discarded needles/syringes (M=8.6) were detected with the highest number detected in January 2023 (M=12.8). Construction and the obstruction of access to homes and services was prevalent in defined areas. Further, we found most of the public amenity issues, drug related and general, were observed toward the perimeter of the sample area, far away from the MSIR itself.
Conclusions: While many of the aims of supervised injecting facilities are focused on health, public amenity also features large in public debates around their efficacy. We observed a range of issues related to public amenity, many unrelated to the MSIR. Ongoing structured observations will enable information on general public amenity to be recorded to understand what is occurring in the area surrounding the MSIR and better inform ongoing debate around the impacts of the service.
Disclosure of Interest Statement:
BW is supported by a Deakin Burnet Partnership PhD scholarship