In 1990, Youth Projects began an out-of-hours outreach service providing clean syringes to drug users in the western and northern suburbs.

A vehicle equipped with clean injecting equipment, disposal facilities, contraceptives and educational information on safe sex and disease visits suburbs from 7.30-11.15pm every day. It operates in suburbs including Hadfield, Glenroy, Fawkner, Broadmeadows, Coolaroo, Campbellfield, Attwood, Gladstone Park, Westmeadows and Gowanbrae.

Chief executive Nicholas Burt said Youth Projects served about 400 clients a month and its operation hours should be extended to improve public health.

"While there are options for needle exchange by day, in the evening this narrows substantially and the risk of shared syringes increases where there is no access to clean equipment.

"The demand for service for needle exchange follows supply on the streets, that is, numbers reduce during heroin drought and increase during periods where access to drugs is more available."

Dianella Community Health Service in Meadow Heights runs a secondary needle syringe program providing clean syringes and disposing of used ones.

While it has access to equipment and supplies, there is no funding for a specific worker.

Deputy CEO Antoinette Mertins said Dianella would support surrounding services like Youth Projects in securing more funding for longer hours and more resources.

"Needle and syringe exchange programs are an important public-health measure in the prevention of blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis B andC and HIV. The program also helps reduce the number of improperly discarded needles and syringes."

The western region's primary needle and exchange program is Health Works in Footscray, which is open 10am-6pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am-2pm on Saturdays.

Each day up to 80 people visit the centre, which provides other medical and social services.

Health Works program manager Jacqui Brown said it made sense that such services were open all times of the day "because drug using happens at all times of the day".

She said there was limited access to needles on Sundays.

"The more clean equipment we can get out to people, the better, and the more people come into Health Works the more likely they are to link up to other services."