LABOR STATES TAKE A KEEN INTEREST

HEROIN detoxification specialist George O'Neil will go to New South
Wales late this month at the request of the State Labor Government,
which wants to mirror his program on a bigger scale.

Dr O'Neil, who runs a Subiaco clinic and expects to treat more than
2000 patients this year, is also setting up a rapid detoxification
clinic in Victoria. He is training doctors from that State.

The interest from the two Labor States is in contrast to WA, where Dr
O'Neil is unable to get continued funding.

Though the WA Government looks set to give him $1020 for each addict
in the formal University of WA trial, Dr O'Neil does not get any money
for patients treated outside the trial.The first trial patient was
treated on Thursday.

Dr O'Neil said it cost him $4000 to treat each patient, including
support and counselling.

And the Government has not yet decided if it will increase funding to
Dr O'Neil's clinic, despite Premier Richard Court meeting him a month
ago and promising to consider it.

Mr Court's promise came after the Health Department refused to provide
funding unless a proper trial was done first. That was because
naltrexone is not registered as a rapid heroin detoxification drug and
the State had advice that it could face legal problems if a person on
the program died.

Mr Court said he supported Dr O'Neil's efforts and the issue of
funding was being progressed.

Dr O'Neil said the Victorian Government wanted to supply naltrexone to
every addict by the end of the year and would also fund a full support
program.

The Church of Christ parishioner, who began treating addicts in 1997
because of alarm at the heroin death rate, said Australian Bureau of
Statistics figures showed that since his program began, crime had
decreased in some areas.

In 1997 Dr O'Neil treated 361 patients. In 1998 it was 834 patients
and the next year 1500. This year he expects to treat 1800 people.

At the same time, the number of addicts treated under the Government's
heroin program has stayed stagnant at 320.

Australia's Anglican primate and the Archbishop of Perth, Dr Peter
Carnley, said he believed the Government should give Dr O'Neil more
money for his work.