title: The impact of an automatic syringe dispensing machine in inner-city Sydney, Australia: No evidence of a 'honey-pot' effect.
abstract: Needle and syringe automatic dispensing machines (ADM) aim to increase needle/syringe distribution to people who inject drugs. ADM implementation has been met with community concern about potential perceived increases in crime and drug use and that they will attract non-resident drug users-the 'honey-pot effect'. In April 2013, an ADM commenced operation in inner-city Sydney. We assessed the impact of the ADM on crime and examined its use by non-resident drug users (the honey-pot effect).
  
  
  
  Fixed-site needle and syringe program (n = 207) and ADM clients (n = 55) were surveyed to determine whether they lived within 1 km of the ADM. Police-recorded offences between January 2012 and March 2014 across six crime categories for the local and surrounding areas were assessed for trend to measure impact on crime.
  
  
  
  The majority (78%) of needle and syringe program clients reported residing within 1 km of the service. Most (95%) ADM users were fixed-site service clients. The 2 year trend for crime categories remained stable or decreased, except for fraud, which increased significantly (P < 0.05).
  
  
  
  Automatic dispensing machine users were largely clients of the existing fixed-site service and lived locally. There was no apparent concurrent increase in crime or a honey-pot effect. It is important that services continue to be aware of community concerns and respond to them appropriately.[Day CA, White B, Haber PS. The impact of an automatic syringe dispensing machine in inner-city Sydney, Australia: No evidence of a 'honey-pot' effect. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:637-643].
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. carolyn.day@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Carolyn A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Day
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Bethany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.|Drug Health Services, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Haber
mesh_terms: D055030:Drug Users; D040261:Harm Reduction; D006801:Humans; D018671:Needle-Exchange Programs / Q000379:methods*; D009517:New South Wales; D012931:Social Environment; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous; D013594:Syringes
keywords: automatic dispensing machine; crime; harm reduction; needle and syringe program