AMA SUPPORTS INJECTING ROOMS AND PRESCRIBED HEROIN

Heroin injecting rooms and prescribed heroin for addicts should be trialled
as possible solutions to Australia's drug problem, the Australian Medical
Association (AMA) said today.

AMA federal president Kerryn Phelps said a one size fits all approach would
never be appropriate to help fight drug addiction.

"The AMA has a very strong view on managing problems of drug addiction in
our community, and we feel that the more options that are available to
people who have problems of drug addiction, the better," she said.

"I think that we need to pursue more trials related to things like
prescribed heroin, heroin injecting rooms, Naltrexone treatments - looking
at a whole raft of different types of options for people."

Dr Phelps said politicians should not be afraid to support trials such as
prescribed heroin because a trial did not mean a commitment.

"We have to keep going, we have to keep exploring and I think it's
important the public is not scared off, the politicians are not scared off,
by the concept of a trial of anything to do with helping drug addiction,"
she said.

"We need to look at supporting, as much as we can, treatment and
rehabilitation for people with addiction problems, so that it's easier to
get into a rehabilitation program than it is to score drugs on the street.

"Until we're at that point, we're not really addressing the drug problem in
Australia."

Her comments come in the wake of remarks earlier this week by Anglican
Church leader Peter Carnley that injecting rooms and heroin prescription
programs should be trialled as part of a broad drugs strategy.

Dr Phelps said it was refreshing to hear such views from a senior clergyman.

In contrast, anti-drugs and morals campaigner Fred Nile said yesterday that
Australia should instead aim to be a drug-free society, similar to what
Sweden was trying to achieve.