UN HITS HEROIN ROOM ATTEMPTS

A United Nations report has criticised Australian states for trying to set
up heroin injecting rooms in contradiction to the Federal Government's stance.

The report, to be released today by the UN's International Narcotics
Control Board, said "spreading heroin use" in Australia had led to a rising
death toll in heroin users. It said harm reduction should be part of a
strategy to deal with the problem, but the real focus should be on measures
to reduce the number of heroin abusers.

"Harm reduction should not become a goal in itself or be adopted at the
expense of a strong commitment to reduce both the supply of and demand for
illicit drugs," it said.

"Some states unfortunately challenge the policy of the Federal Government
and choose to support policies that run counter to the treaty obligation
limiting the use of drugs to medical and scientific purposes only, by
establishing heroin injecting rooms where illicitly obtained drugs can be
injected under supervision."

The report noted heroin prices had fallen and purity had increased, while
heroin-related arrests had also risen since 1997.

A UN spokeswoman said the INCB believed that by opening heroin-injecting
rooms the states would not help to reduce the number of heroin abusers. The
Vienna-based narcotics board, which monitors international drug treaties,
adheres to the prohibition model of countering drug addiction.

The Victorian Government failed in its attempt to open several injecting
rooms across Melbourne when the legislation failed to gain Coalition
support. The Wesley Central Mission had spent $500,000 on a proposed
facility in La Trobe Street before the Melbourne City Council rejected the
site. The move has now stalled, with the Bracks Government pursuing other
avenues as part of its harm reduction policy.

A similar move in Sydney stalled last month when the New South Wales
Government decided the controversial trial should be suspended until the
Supreme Court ruled on its future next month.

The report also called on governments to reduce excessive and inappropriate
use of prescription drugs. It said overuse of controlled drugs was becoming
a "socially accepted habit" in many developed countries. Increasing numbers
of patients were being treated with psychotropic substances, such as
benzodiazepines, without being diagnosed for mental or physical disorders.

Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Committee chairman Lloyd Sansom said the
report was timely as Australia had already begun work on the problem.
Benzodiazepines in particular had been overused and overprescribed in
Australia but plans were in place to curb their inappropriate use. Two
committees had been set up to look separately at the "inappropriate" and
"intentional" misuse of prescribed drugs and report to the Federal Government.

A national Royal Children's Hospital and Maroondah Child and Adolescent
Mental Health Service survey shows that doctors are increasingly using
behavior-modifying drugs, including the new antipsychotics, in young
children even though they had not been tested in children and were not
approved for their use.