Herald Sun slams injecting rooms
EDITORIAL 4 MARCH 2000
No safe haven
VICTORIANS should reject out of hand plans for supervised heroin injecting rooms after learning today that the Swiss experiment has encouraged an open market for the killer drug.
Traffickers are able to loiter outside an injecting center in the city of Berne free from police harassment.
Fair-minded Victorians won't welcome the appearance of similar scenes on the streets of Melbourne.
A report published today from a Herald Sun correspondent in Europe illustrates the tragedy of the Berne experiment, revealing the dilemma created by 'the presence of traffickers outside injecting centers.
Addicts using the center in the Swiss city buy their drugs from traffickers who loiter outside.
As University of Berne psychiatrist Dr Robert Haemmig conceded: "Of course, if you have to sell drugs it is easier to do it around the injecting facility. But inside, we can control it, there is no trafficking inside."
A fair-minded person might well ask how Melbourne, with its own soon-to-open injecting centers, will combat this problem.
Would the Federal Government approve the sale of scientifically processed medical heroin? Hardly.
The lesson from Switzerland is that injecting centers are of little or no value in controlling the sale of illegal substances.
The Berne experience proves that injecting rooms should not be located in a suburban environment where traffickers would be in areas frequented by children.
It is obvious that valuable police time will have to be set aside for catching traffickers.
The same problems would arise too, if injecting centers were placed in factory areas or in offices in downtown business districts.
The Herald Sun does not support the government's plans to combat heroin use in this manner.
The drug problem can only be tackled when addicted persons follow a proper course of medical treatment accompanied by counseling from properly trained individuals.
People who inject dangerous drugs put their lives at risk.
Injecting rooms are no safe havens.
DRUG ADVISORY COUNCIL COMMENTS-
We must oppose injecting rooms and push for court ordered detoxification & rehabilitation.
THE DRUG ADVISORY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA SUPPORTS-
More detoxification & rehabilitation that gets illicit drug users drug free.
Court ordered and supervised detoxification & rehabilitation.
Less illicit drug users, drug pushers and drug related crimes.
FACT SHEET M3
