HEROIN AMNESTY BID TO HALT LETHAL BATCH

GARDAi are to offer an amnesty to heroin users in a bid to halt the
spread of a deadly batch of the drug suspected of killing a user in
Scotland.

One addict in Scotland died from a rare flesh-eating bug and another had
his leg amputated following a similar infection.

Three heroin users are being treated in Dublin hospitals with
unexplained symptoms, thought to be similar to those in Scotland.

Samples from the three users are being tested in Britain, but initial
indications suggest they are unlikely to be the result of contaminated
heroin.

The dramatic move comes after police in Liverpool warned gardai that
part of a consignment of contaminated heroin could be on its way to
Dublin, or may already be here.

"We will be recommending that heroin users will be able to hand in
heroin, needles and other paraphernalia for analysis," said a spokesman
for the Garda National Drugs Unit.

"We will not be looking to prosecute anyone. Our priority is to get any
bad heroin off the streets before anyone dies."

Gardai are eager to avoid a repeat of last summer, when up to eight
heroin users are suspected to have died from a batch of contaminated
heroin.

Liverpool police issued the warning after they were informed that a 20kg
consignment of contaminated heroin was dug up and sold off in a bid to
raise bail money for a man charged with trafficking heroin into Dublin.

The Greater Glasgow and Argyll & Clyde health boards said the cases of
necrotising fasciitis had come to light in the last week during routine
checks of drug addicts.

Injecting drug users are more vulnerable to the potentially fatal
illness, sometimes known as flesh-eating disease, because it commonly
enters the body through broken skin.

Dr Jim McMenamin, consultant in public health at Greater Glasgow Health
Board, said: "This is reminiscent of the outbreak of infection that
killed more than 20 users last year.

Gardai are investigating dealers associated with the consignment of
contaminated heroin last year.

A dealer from Clondalkin is suspected of being involved with the
Liverpool trafficking gang -- thought to be behind the consignment of
contaminated heroin -- nabbed by the GNDU importing heroin earlier this
year.

The GNDU will also repeat an amnesty to users and families offered last
year.

"Then we told users, families of people who had died and their friends,
we would turn a blind eye in order to get the bad heroin off the
streets," said the spokesman.

He said users, families and friends handed over heroin belonging to
heroin users who had died, along with needles, blood samples and
information about drug deals.

The move has been welcomed by street agencies working with heroin users.

"It's a very good idea," said Gary Broderick of the Anna Liffey Drug
Project.

"We are talking about something that poses a real danger, particularly
to young, inexperienced users, who are mainly at risk.