PM DENIES PURGE IN DRUG BODY

The Federal Opposition has attacked the overhaul of the government's main
drugs advisory body, claiming it removes the members who disagree with the
Prime Minister's views on zero tolerance.

Opposition health spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said: "We need many solutions
to the drug problem and certainly zero tolerance by itself is not going to
work."

But Prime Minister John Howard yesterday rejected suggestions that he had
purged the drugs body, replacing advocates of drug law reform with hardliners.

Mr Howard said the reports were wrong. "Any suggestion that members of the
Australian National Council on Drugs are chosen because they support one
particular approach to drugs policy runs contrary to the central ethos of
the council.

"The ANCD is made up of people who have a wide range of experience and
expertise on various aspects of drug policy ranging from treatment and
rehabilitation, education, law enforcement, research and work at the
coalface in a community organisation," he said.

Despite speculation on the council's membership, the government yesterday
refused to name the new members.

Mr Howard is tipped to release their names at a function in Brisbane today.

David Crosbie, former head of the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of
Australia and now the head of Odyssey House, will be one of the group's new
members. Last night Mr Crosbie said he was not a hardliner on drugs.

"I have been a public advocate for heroin trials and safe injecting
facilities for many years," he said. "I don't believe that they're the
solution to the drug problem. I have always argued for evidence-based drug
policy."

Mr Crosbie said he supported drug diversion programs, supervised injecting
rooms, needle and syringe exchanges and methadone programs.

Committee member Margaret Hamilton, the director of the Turning Point
Alcohol and Drug Service, said it was important that the committee had a
mix of views.