DRUGS BODY REJECTS HARDLINER TAG

The new members of the country's leading drugs advisory body last night
rejected suggestions they would take a "zero tolerance" approach to drugs.
Despite reports that the Prime Minister had gutted the Australian National
Council on Drugs and replaced advocates of "new treatment" with hardliners,
at least four of the six new appointees favour either a "harm minimisation"
strategy or a balanced approach to the drug fight.

However, dumped families' representative Tony Trimingham and the federal
Opposition continued to criticise the changes last night, saying the body
was dominated by proponents of zero tolerance.

Mr Howard formally announced the replacements yesterday. They include:
University of Queensland Professor of Alcohol and Drug Studies John
Saunders; executive director of Odyssey House, David Crosbie; executive
director of We Help Ourselves, Garth Popple; Anne Bressington of the South
Australian Drugbeat project; and manager of the Alice Springs-based Drug
and Alcohol Services Association, Nick Gill.

New parent representative Julie Hanbury, of the West Australian-based
Parent Drug Information Service, was also described as favouring a balanced
approach.

Mr Crosbie, the former outspoken executive director of the Alcohol and
Other Drugs Council, objected to the "zero-tolerance tag" last night. He
said he had locked horns with council head, the Salvation Army's Brian
Watters, on many occasions over new treatment approaches.

"I think it is time we dropped these (unhelpful) zero tolerance versus harm
minimisation labels altogether," Mr Crosbie said.

"I don't care whether the PM is zero tolerance or harm minimisation, so
long as the money is spent in a balanced way," he said.

Professor Saunders also rejected the "zero-tolerance" tag.

"I wouldn't describe myself as zero tolerance. While abstinence is a noble
goal, we have to be realistic.

"I expect the council will continue to have robust debate about alternative
approaches and continue to provide advice and support on new approaches,"
he said.

Garth Popple could not be contacted by The Australian yesterday but a
source close to the drug administrator said he was "distressed" at being
labelled "zero tolerance". "Garth's concern is that the cause of harm
minimisation has been harmed," he said.

One of Australia's most respected researchers and the head of the National
Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of NSW, Wayne Hall, said
yesterday his resignation was because of work pressure and he had no
problem with the new appointees.