RIGHT MOVE ON HEROIN ADDICTION

THE Examiner's editorial "Save lives before punishing addicts" deserves to
be commended for its humane and commonsense approach to a difficult issue
(Examiner view, Oct. 2).

In the state where I reside in Australia, all emergency medical technicians
carry the antidote to heroin overdose, and it's amazing to see its ability
to bring someone back to life.

In addition, the police have long had a policy of not arresting people who
use drugs who have called an ambulance after an overdose.

Our police force states right on its Web page that "preservation of life is
a law enforcement priority. Fear of prosecution for minor drug offenses has
been identified as contributing to the reluctance of some people to call an
ambulance.

Police still exercise their discretion when attending incidents of drug
overdose. For non-fatal overdoses, where the situation involves
self-administration or minor possession offences, police are encouraged to
exercise their discretion to not take action on the victim or anyone else at
the scene. At a fatal drug overdose or where death is imminent, police will
investigate the matter as for any other sudden or suspicious death.

This policy stated above has saved countless lives as addicts and their
friends now know they can call for medical help and not be punished for it.
It's also protected many families from losing a loved one. I hope
California's Gov. Davis will sign the Legislature's proposal to provide a
new framework for overdose protection. It's a humane measure that's long
overdue.

Lyndon Smith, Sydney, Australia