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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 11 Hansard (29 November) . . Page.. 3359 ..
MR OSBORNE (continuing):
in our community is, in my view, just scaremongering. This legislation does not restrict access to clean needles, and I would not be bringing it forward if it did.
I realise the minister's fondness for comparing the prevalence of blood-borne viruses of New South Wales and New York and his comparison of the two demographics intrigues me more than a little, but the minister will be as aware as I am that injecting drugs is just one of several factors involved in the spread of blood-borne viruses. Scientific studies are often rendered inconclusive when the various sexual practices of drug users are included as users tend not to protect themselves against sexual transmission to the extent that they do against intravenous transmission. I think the minister is yet to offer any real evidence to back his claims, other than that he disagrees with the idea.
Likewise, the minister's second argument that a needle exchange system would encourage unsafe injecting practices is guesswork. His third argument that no-one in the world has ever contracted HIV or hepatitis from discarded needles bears scrutiny. This is a common claim by committed needle distribution supporters. Again, I would like to quote from the publication I referred to by the Australian National Council on AIDS, Hepatitis C and Related Diseases. In answer to the question, "If you tread on a syringe in the park, should you have an HIV or hepatitis C test?" the following response is offered:
One fear is that an injury from discarded injecting equipment may result in infection with HIV or hepatitis. Sensational and emotive coverage of these issues in some media have exaggerated the risk. Although this is an extremely upsetting experience, the risk of contracting an infection such as HIV or hepatitis from discarded needles and syringes in public places is extremely small.
There have been cases of transmission of blood borne viruses through needlestick injuries in health care settings, but these are rare. There are no published accounts of HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection after a member of the general public has been injured by discarded injection equipment.
This publication backs up the minister's claim 100 per cent. Mr Speaker, we seem to have scored another world first in Canberra, because there is a documented case of a non-health worker contracting hepatitis B from discarded injecting equipment earlier this year. If the minister or the ALP wish to test this claim, I suggest they contact the ACT branch of the TWU and listen to what they had to tell me yesterday. The transference of infection can, and does, happen and the public is at risk, no matter how small the risk.
Mr Speaker, I am prepared to listen to intelligent arguments over this bill, but not claptrap dressed up as informed opinion. Those who disagree with this bill should do so with honesty and come to the debate with some substance to back up their comments. It is of concern to me that there is so little in the way of concrete facts about this whole issue.
In over a decade, no proper studies have been done in Canberra about needle distribution, and we have already lost the opportunity to gather essential baseline data. I trust that such a study will be done as soon as possible, but not one conducted by the local harm minimisation mafia. We need to have a proper independent study done at arm's length from those who are either working in or closely associated with the local
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