DRUG FORUM ON BORDER ISSUES

The Border's drug problems will be tackled at a cross-border drug forum to
be held in Albury-Wodonga on March 2.

Chief executive officer of the Upper Hume Community Health Service and
forum co-organiser Ms Nicki Melville said the forum would investigate the
key themes of prevention, enforcement, rehabilitation, treatment and education.

Ms Melville said the public would be invited to the forum, to be held at
the Albury Performing Arts and Convention Centre, from 6pm to 8.30pm.

Ms Melville said Victorian and NSW police would address those at the forum
and it was hoped Prof Margaret Hamilton would be the keynote speaker.

Prof Hamilton is the director of Turning Point, the Victorian drug and
education organisation.

Before the public forum a professional development forum flwill be held at
La Trobe University for health and community workers.

Ms Melville those involved in the forum included the Albury Community
Health Centre, La Trobe and Charles Sturt universities, member for Benambra
Mr Tony Plowman, the member for Albury Mr Ian Glachan, Wodonga Institute of
TAFE, the Riverina College of TAFE, the Albury Drug Action Team and the
Victorian Department of Human Services.

Ms Melville said the forum was first suggested by Mr Plowman, after
researcher Dr David Penington made a presentation to the Victorian Parliament.

The Penington Report outlined a number of myths surrounding drug use, among
them that "heroin use is bound to damage their (users) brains so they can
never again be useful members of society".

The report said "heroin itself causes no damage to the brain apart from
rapid development of dependency in most individuals who have used it
repeatedly".