another overdose prevention centre (Patreon)

hey mates,

made a new piece in support of safe injecting facilities, since Ken Lay's report on the utility of a second site in Melbourne is due out any day now. the drawing is going to run on Overland soon, it's designed to present well on the web (long narrow pieces scroll down nicely), and it should also work well printed out and stuck on to street poles.

Once the community consultation report is released i will print a bunch of copies of the drawing and go stick them up around the place, in preparation for the usual bad-faith arguments against the sites. I will also make some copies available for pick-up from Trades Hall.

I was thinking, there are parallels with how since popular opinion on climate change has shifted, conservatives and denialists have had to pivot to saying "okay yes global warming is happening we admit that, but there's nothing we can do / other countries are worse / it's natural / it's too late blabla". Similarly, local property barons and business owners can't come out and say "we don't care about drug users" because that would show themselves, and cos the rest of us have seen the evidence around the effectiveness of these services, so they have to obfuscate - "we simply don't want the site near tourists / cafes / THE CHILDREN " etc. their plan will likely be to delay and delay and delay.
it's so slimy and it shld be howled down at every opportunity imo.

I was delighted to pause a recent television report about the Richmond safe injecting facility, get my pen out and trace the face of a NIMBY speaking out against the site, to use as the main character in the above artwork. I hope she sees it and recognises herself and has a fucken think hahaha.

Big thanks to Matt Plumb and Judy Ryan for the hugely instructive chats about the above piece.

A longer update to come soon hope you're all well!!!!!

<3 from Sam