CARNLEY WRONG: PELL

Melbourne Catholic Archbishop George Pell said yesterday that Anglican
Church leader Peter Carnley was "mistaken" to endorse supervised injecting
rooms and possibly free heroin for addicts.

Back from a 12-day trip to Europe, Dr Pell said injecting rooms and legally
prescribed heroin would not prevent addiction or help users kick the habit.

"I think (Dr Carnley) is mistaken. Heroin is a massive problem and there is
no such thing as safe injecting rooms. If you are pumping heroin into your
body, it's never safe," he said on a visit to a Flemington nursing home.

"The provision of heroin to users is a diversion from the main issue, which
is to get people off drugs."

Yesterday Dr Carnley, the Anglican Archbishop of Perth, welcomed Dr Pell's
"contribution". "I agree with (Dr Pell). We have to get people off drugs.
But some people are on drugs and I think it is the lesser of two evils for
them to be taking drugs in a supervised situation then taking drugs in the
gutter and dying."

Dr Carnley stopped short of endorsing free heroin for users, saying the
results of Swiss trials must be assessed first. But Australians should
"look at it very carefully".

Dr Carnley's views have put him at odds with factions in his church. Dr
Pell said Catholics were also divided over church policy forbidding the
involvement of church agencies in trials.