GOVT CRITICISED FOR SHELVING INJECTING ROOM TRIAL

The ACT Government has drawn criticism from the Alcohol and Other Drugs
Council of Australia for shelving the heroin safe injecting room trial.

The trial was postponed appease independents Dave Rugendyke and Paul
Osborne, after they voted with the Labor and the Greens to block passage of
the ACT Budget.

A special session of the Legislative Assembly this Monday is expected to
pass the Budget by removing funding for the safe injecting room trial.

The council says alot of work by a range of community groups, researchers
and police has been put back by the decision.

President, Professor Ian Webster says the decision is a backward step.

"We're an extraordinarily progressive nation in terms of the way we deal
with health problems and some social welfare problems and I think that
unless we're prepared to be seen as people who will trial things, examine
the evidence and make responses on the basis of that evidence, that's a
very backward step indeed," he said.