OVERDOSE STRATEGIES EXAMINED

I WISH to thank Dr Alex Wodak for his support of the Australian National
Council on Drugs position paper on heroin overdose (Letters, 14/9).

The federal Government's Tough on Drugs strategy was begun less than two
years ago and it takes time for it to be fully implemented and for the
results to become apparent.

The Tough on Drugs strategy has provided $500 million to Australian
services to combat the drug problem: research projects; new and expanded
treatment services; education and other prevention programs; extended
needle exchange and methadone programs; family support services; expanded
police and customs services; the court diversion services; and indigenous
programs.

A keystone of the ANCD's policies has always been that programs, especially
new and innovative programs, should be based on evidence and be rigorously
evaluated.

It should be no surprise that this is emphasised in respect to the proposal
for medically supervised injecting rooms, which is undoubtedly the most
contentious, and even divisive proposal in Australia.

The WHO evaluation of the Swiss heroin trial raised questions on its
measurable effectiveness and the practicality of its implementation as a
general policy.

There is evidence from Germany and Switzerland that the range of strategies
recommended in the ANCD paper are significant factors in the reduction of
deaths from overdose in those countries.

Obviously a position paper dealing with heroin-related overdose is not
going to deal with matters of supply reduction, or marijuana policy.

Put the paper does allude to the need for education of drug users and to
ways of avoiding overdose. Perhaps "snorting" heroin, instead of injecting,
falls into that category.

Whilst scientific rigour is an essential component of any policy proposal,
none of us can afford to forget or ignore the sad reality of the human
suffering involved.

The members of the ANCD are all people who are working closely with those
who are suffering or have lost loved ones. I can assure Dr Wodak that our
membership is not lacking in compassion or commonsense and we are not
constrained by "political correctness", whatever that means.

It is not sniffer dogs, helicopters or political correctness that causes
overduse deaths in Australia. It is the use of heroin, often in combination
with other drugs, that is killing people, young and old.

The ANCD position paper on overdoses seeks to respond to that issue with a
comprehensive strategy that includes prevention, supply reduction and harm
reduction, believing as we do that there is no simple "one shot" solution.

Major Brian Watters, Chairman, Australian National Council on Drugs