Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC): Evaluation Report 1

The Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) evolved out of the NSW Parliamentary Drug Summit in 1999, which supported an 18-month trial of a single medically supervised injecting centre in Kings Cross, recognising that its operation may have both public health and public order benefits. The Joint Select Committee into Safe Injecting Rooms for the Parliament of NSW in 1999, identified the potential public health benefits of the supervised injecting facilities as including a reduction in the morbidity and mortality associated with drug overdoses; reduced transmission of blood borne infections such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C; increased access to health and social welfare services and contact with a marginalised injecting drug user population. Possible public order benefits of the service were a potential reduction in street based injecting, a reduction in the number of needles and syringes discarded in public places and reduced crime in the local area. Specifically, the Government's objectives were to prevent drug overdose deaths; provide a gateway to treatment and counselling; reduce problems of discarded needles and public injecting; and help reduce the spread of HIV and HCV. This report considers three of these potential outcomes, namely, reduced morbidity and mortality associated with drug overdoses; increased access to health and social welfare services and contact with a marginalised injecting drug using population; and, reduction in street based injecting.