PARENTS IN FRONT LINE OF PM'S DRUG WAR

TELEVISION advertisements depicting the failed dreams of drug addicts who
end up as prostitutes or in body bags were launched yesterday as part of a
national effort to jolt parents into talking about drugs with their
children.The second phase of John Howard's Tough on Drugs Campaign also
includes an information booklet that will be sent to every Australian
household. Launching the initiative in Sydney, the Prime Minister made no
apology for its confrontational nature. The campaign, he said, was calling
parents to action as the nation's greatest resource in the war against drugs.

He said the $27 million initiative would be successful because parents
could influence their children more than churches, schools and community
leaders. But he admitted it could take years to work.

The campaign drew praise from many campaigners yesterday ­ but it was also
attacked as a waste of money, showing once again that there is no consensus
on how to tackle the drug problem.

Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation president Alex Wodak said there was
no evidence that mass media campaigns reduced drug use, while $27 million
could buy places in methadone and other treatment programs for as many as
15,000 Australians.

"We know that that would have substantial benefits in reducing deaths,
disease, crime and perhaps even corruption," Dr Wodak said.

"There is a great shortfall at the moment where people are finding it
desperately hard to get into detox centres and treatment programs,
especially pharmacological ones."

Dr Wodak said the campaign was carefully crafted but failed to address the
real issues.

National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre information manager Paul Dillon
said the information sent to parents created the perception that only
children with troubles turned to drugs.

"The most confronting thing parents may have to face when they talk to
their children about drugs is that the children take them for enjoyment and
to unwind in much the same way as the parents smoke and drink alcohol," Mr
Dillon said.

Opposition health spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said if the Howard Government
was serious about tackling the drug issue, it needed to back the campaign
with measures to provide better access to treatment.