Free Heroin Or Free Detox Programs?
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday January 17, 2000
Consideration is being given to the provision of rooms for the safe injection of heroin (now there is an oxymoron!).
Many drug-related deaths are due to overdose through using heroin of uncertain strength, or by poisoning through impurities used to "cut" the drugs.
Perhaps it is time that consideration is given to providing not only the rooms and the needles free, but the heroin also. If this were freely available from government sources, then surely the purity and strength could be guaranteed and these deaths avoided. Possibly a small charge could be levied per syringe.
Then, too, the dealers would be out of a job, the crime rate would drop (by about 80 per cent, according to the Ted Noffs Foundation) and no addict would be further degraded by having to be a thief in order to support the very expensive (at the moment) habit.
Bulk buying by government would produce the lowest possible price. Or perhaps it could subsidise local growers with a controlled crop.
And what about a tax on it in line with alcohol and tobacco?
The number of police, court officials, magistrates, welfare workers, medical personnel, etc, who would be released is staggering.
If we are to support injection rooms, and free syringes at public expense, what can be the objection to supplying, to registered addicts, the drug as well? How far should we go?
Antony Howell, January 13 Bawley Point.
Various HIV/AIDS experts are trying to relieve leading ironman Jonathon Crowe's fears by claiming the risk of HIV is "from one in 10,000 . . . to essentially zero" (Herald, January 10).
However, in 1985 a cruel hoax was played upon Australian politicians when they were told to support "harm minimisation" policies and distribution of free heroin needles "to stop the spread of AIDS".
This distribution of free heroin needles has risen from thousands to 20 million in 1998, including 9.8 million in NSW.
Jonathon Crowe's well-intentioned call for legal "shooting galleries" (Herald, January 10) is not the way to go, as free needles, free "shooting galleries" and even free heroin "trials", etc, is sending a dangerous message to Australian youth that heroin is OK - hence the threefold increase in heroin use.
Free needles and free "shooting galleries" must be scrapped and replaced with free rapid detox naltrexone rehabilitation clinics.
Rev Fred Nile, MLC January 12 Sydney.
© 2000 Sydney Morning Herald