Victoria's former police chief has spoken out in support of supervised injecting rooms for Melbourne, saying drug use is not an issue to "arrest your way out of".

Ken Lay, now Ambulance Victoria chairman, told Joy FM's Saturday Magazine program that drug users were sick, not criminals.

Drug use is an issue you "can't arrest your way out of", says former Victoria Police commissioner Ken Lay. Credit:Eddie Jim

"We probably weren't brave enough to go into the safe injection rooms but, speaking as an individual, there is a real attraction to harm reduction to me," he said.

"Forget about trying to arrest your way out of this.