BLINKERED ON HEROIN

THE COMMUNITY'S tired of being led down blind alleys in the drug strategy
maze (Ian De Landelles, CT, Letters, November 21). The shocking illicit drug
mess results from current policy, not current laws.

Heroin trials and shooting galleries are not "new" or "alternative"
strategies -- they're the radical extremes of the same failed drug policy.

At a recent drug forum NSW's John Della Bosca stated the drug problem is
owned by the community.

If the drug problem is community "property" then the ACT Government should
have asked the ACT owners long ago how they wanted it resolved -- with
shooting galleries, or, on a population-based comparison with Sweden, 12
permanently funded and fully staffed detox/rehab clinics for treatment
virtually on demand.

Our Health Minister conservatively estimates 1000 daily heroin users in the
ACT (CT, November 20, p4). With 30 times (9 million) the ACT's population,
Sweden has only 2000 daily heroin users.

Do our leaders need Hansel and Gretel's breadcrumbs to find the way ? Or
simply to remove the blinkers?

COL PARRETT, Kingston