AUSTRALIA HARDENS STANCE OVER CHILD DRUG ABUSE

SYDNEY (Reuters) The Australian Government yesterday launched a
zero-tolerance campaign to get tough on children taking drugs.

The $A27 million ($NZ33 million) television and pamphlet campaign
features shock TV advertisements showing children in body bags and
drug-addict prostitutes dreaming about a normal, happy life.

It will be targeted at parents, showing them how to spot whether their
children are smoking cannabis, shooting heroin, sniffing glue or taking
designer drugs like ecstasy, and giving them guidance on how to tell
their children about the dangers.

"If we don't talk to our sons and daughters about drugs, you can be sure
that our children will hear the wrong message from someone else," Prime
Minister John Howard said.

Heroin use is common in the poor inner suburbs of Sydney, where a local
high-tolerance policy means junkies shoot up openly in the street and
where Australia's first legal heroin-shooting clinic is awaiting the
final word from the courts to open.

Police say ecstasy and methamphetamine use is widespread in the
nightclub scene, while police in some parts of Australia frequently go
easy on marijuana users.

Mr Howard has consistently pushed for a tougher approach.

By contrast, the opposition, centre-left Labor Party recently launched
its drugs policy for the 2001 federal election, in which it hinted it
would support a trial of heroin supplied on prescription.

Mr Howard is expected to call a general election by November, when his
National-Liberal coalition will be seeking a third consecutive term.