VICTORIAN taxpayers have footed the bill for more than 2 million condoms - most of them flavoured - for drug users in the past 2 1/2 years, tender documents reveal.
Taxpayers have also been slugged for almost 700,000 sachets of lubricant, as part of an add-on to a needle exchange program.
The free prophylactic program means Victorian taxpayers supply more than 2000 condoms a day to drug users, at a cost of more than $100,000 a year.
A spokesman for the Department of Health defended the program, saying it had saved more than $200 million over the past decade in medical costs and restricted the spread of infectious diseases.
"In terms of the supply of flavoured and coloured condoms, the objective is that they be used," a department spokesman said. "This program has had wide support for a number of years."
The existing government program will end in September, but tenders have been called to extend the condom program.
Although coloured and flavoured condoms are by far the most popular category supplied, the Department of Health has drawn the line at other non-standard condoms.
"Novelty or medicinally enhanced condoms are not required and offers for these types of products are not to be submitted. Coloured/flavoured condoms are acceptable," tender documents stipulate.
"To promote and facilitate the practice of safe sex among at-risk populations, the needle exchange makes available a range of safe sex, sexually transmissible infection protection consumables to its clients," the documents say.
Family groups yesterday said they objected to the program.
"We are against both the needle exchange and the condom programs," said Terri Kelleher of the Australian Family Association.
"People aren't making the best decision when they are on drugs, and therefore shouldn't be supplied with condoms. There's no guarantee they are going to use them anyway."
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