The Green Party calls on the Government to adopt the proposal from NZ Drug Foundation, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, and the Needle Exchange Services Trust to introduce a three-year pilot of an overdose prevention centre in Auckland's city centre.
"The Greens have always stood for evidence-based policy to reduce drug harm and today's ground breaking proposal is the Government's opportunity to live up to its own commitments to intervene in cycles of harm, reduce crime and make our cities safer," says Green Party MP for Auckland Central, Chlöe Swarbrick.
"Auckland's City Centre is home to more than 40,000 people, flagship addresses for many businesses and like many city centres around the world, a lighthouse for those experiencing hardship. It is a good thing that we know who needs help. It is our job to help them, not step over them.
"When I stood to represent my community of Auckland Central, I did so committing to confront the hard, complicated realities of the problems that present themselves in our neighbourhoods - many of which don't originate in our neighbourhoods. That means implementing practical and thoroughly researched solutions like this Overdose Prevention Centre.
"Police and Ambulance staff are regularly having to respond to callouts of suspected drug overdose, sometimes repeatedly on the same day. Interventions like this are proven to reduce that workload, so they can get on with the rest of their job, which even the conservatives among us have got to say is a good thing." says Chlöe Swarbrick.
