Book – You Talk, We Die: The Battle for Victoria’s First Safe Injecting Facility

Author: Judy Ryan[1]
Publisher: Scribe Publications
Reviewer: James McNab

This is a book about the ripple effects of heroin addiction. It addresses the associated issues within the Melbourne inner city community of Richmond and the ultimate introduction by the Victorian Government of safe injecting rooms. The book highlights the strength of a community voice as agents of change for local issues. Specifically, it demonstrates how all levels of government need help from the community in addressing the insidious addiction not only of heroin, which is featured in the book, but indeed of all addictive drugs.

The author, Judy Ryan, shares her personal account of people using drugs and drug addicts in her neighbourhood until she reached breaking point in 2016. That point was when she saw yet another young man slumped in a local laneway. Fortunately, he survived the overdose. Sadly, the author had also been touched previously by the horrors of addiction, with a family member having passed away due to drugs.

The author recounts how she embarked upon attempting to change policy, views and laws and details the obstacles she encountered during that process. The book shows how she was able to garner support over time from journalists, medical experts, politicians, and police.

After much campaigning, the steadfast attitudes against safe injecting rooms began to mellow. A major stakeholder in the debate was the Victorian Police Union which, ultimately, said that they “would not oppose a safe injecting facility in Richmond”. This was in many ways a watershed moment in the campaign and momentum for change gained more pace and support.

Without fanfare, the safe injecting room opened a day early on 30 June 2018.

The book is very insightful of the community issues and prejudice relating to drug addiction. It really demonstrates how a driven community can instigate and achieve change.

At an RRP of $32.99, it represents great value. It is also available electronically.

[1] Judy Ryan moved to inner city Melbourne in 2012. In 2016 she launched the campaign to commence a safe injecting room in Richmond Victoria. She has also run for election in all three levels of government in Victoria