Foot Patrol

BEAUTIFUL USERS ZINE

Beautiful Users Zine - Issue 1
Beautiful Users Zine - Issue 2
Beautiful Users Zine - Issue 3
Beautiful Users Zine - Issue 4

Youth Projects Inc set up Foot Patrol in the Melbourne CBD in 1996.
Foot Patrol provides a number of services but the main service is a mobile
street based outreach needle syringe program with a focus on blood borne virus
prevention, the provision of disposal information and referrals for injecting
drug users (IDUs)

The Foot Patrol model is based on a pair of workers walking a regular designated
route, within the 2.52 square kilometres in the Central Business District of
Melbourne. The routes taken can vary over time, taking in the identified hot spots (using areas).

Regular clients become familiar with the route of the Foot Patrollers and meet up with staff on the street. Others can phone a free call 1800 mobile phone from public telephones and arrange to meet up with Foot Patrollers at a designated spot. Some clients access the service by chance or casual street contact. This enables Injecting Drug Users access to the provision of clean injecting equipment and condoms in their own environment (streets and lanes), as well as access to a range of other resources including safer using/safer sex information, general and specific health information/education and support and referral appropriate to their needs.

A secondary service operated by Foot Patrol is a multi faceted Community Syringe Disposal Project. This project commenced in 1998 and was developed in partnership with, and is funded by, Melbourne City Council.

One of the community's concerns about street based ID usage is that syringes are randomly discarded on the streets and as a result pose a public health risk. These concerns are among those that fuel opposition to the distribution of syringes by Foot Patrol staff. However, by also participating in a syringe disposal program, Foot Patrol helps deflect this criticism of its service.

The Needle Syringe Disposal Unit in the Melbourne CBD provide information, education and training to residents, traders and institutions on safe syringe disposal. Contact Foot Patrol (03) 9662 4488. Foot Patrol mobile : 0412 155 491
FREE CALL from public phones 1800 700 102
Monday - Friday 11.45am - 11.15pm
Saturday & Sunday 12.00 noon - 4.00pm, 7.30pm - 11.15pm
Public Holidays 12pm - 3.45pm, 7.30pm - 11.15pm