Overland literary journal > Latest > Cartoons > Safe injecting rooms save lives
Published · Cartoons / Health

Safe injecting rooms save lives

Sam Wallman

Sam Wallman is a unionist and cartoonist based on unceded Wurundjeri country. He is a member of the Workers Art Collective and the Maritime Union of Australia. His new book 12 Rules for Strife was produced in collaboration with Jeff Sparrow and will be published by Scribe Publications on May Day 2024. You can follow his work here.

More by Sam Wallman ›

Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places.

If you like this piece, or support Overland’s work in general, please subscribe or donate.

Related articles & Essays

· Cartoons

Freedom machine

· Cartoons

Watching as the empire votes

Contribute to the conversation

  2. Sam, you live in Carlton don’t you? Pretty disrespectful to characterize the north Richmond residents as people who simply don’t “want it their backyard”. Whilst most people respect the benefits that injecting rooms can have to users, most people also don’t want them located next door to a school, just like many harm minimisation groups said before the nrch msir

  3. Hi Sam, nice artwork, you are obviously talented but I think a little more research and understanding of the residents here in North Richmond who support the room but think a better considered location away from our children should have been considered would have given you a fairer view of our position. You may very well have agreed that “not in my backyard” would be a fair call after meeting our children and the parents who want nothing more for them than a happy safe childhood. Probably something unfortunately many users may not have had. Can we just do right by both groups perhaps? Most of us have saved users lives that don’t use the room so the harsh judgement really hurts. We care more than you think. We are an easy target for you to use as your self promotion and to cause an “us and them” situation. We are calling for a “we”. A fair go for all.

  4. Absolutely amazing artwork Sam! As someone who lives approx 500 metres from the Richmond safe injecting room (and has noticed only positive changes since it opened, the main one obviously being that my neighbours and members of my community are no longer ODing and dying in the streets) I agree with the message 1000%

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.