WA PRESIDENT OF AMA BACKS HEROIN INJECTING ROOM TRIALS

The new president of the Western Australian branch of the Australian
Medical Association has backed a trial of heroin injecting rooms in the
state to combat the growing drug problem.

Dr Bernard Pearn-Rowe says the war on drugs is being lost and it is time
for a radical solution.

He says despite their best efforts, police are not managing to slow the
flow of drugs into WA.

"My personal view is that radical things like shooting galleries, safe
injecting rooms, have to be trialled," Dr Pearn-Rowe said.

"In 50 years we really haven't done anything significant to overcome the
drug problem.

"The police service is doing all that it can, it catches criminals but
they're usually relatively low down in the pecking order," he said.

"We haven't really addressed the core of the problem."