FOOTSCRAY RALLY TO SUPPORT HEROIN INJECTING ROOM

Hundreds of Footscray residents are expected to rally this afternoon in
support of the trial of a supervised heroin injecting facility.

The rally follows last week's decision by the Liberal party to oppose
the legislation needed to set up the trial.

David Moody from the Footscray Cares group says the trial is needed, as
are other social and health programs to deal with increasing street
drug use.

And he says support for supervised injecting facilities is growing.

"What we would say is, noone can be absolutely certain of these
things," he said.

"The State Opposition has been pre-emptive in arriving at a decision
before being presented with all of the information that they could have
had access to.

"That's certainly the feeling of our people who are on the ground.

"They were getting a far more sympathetic approach to the notion of a
supervised injecting facility."