LEGAL HEROIN WILL INCREASE PROBLEMS

DIETER Moeckel (May 5) makes dealing with the illicit drug trade sound
so simple.

It's obvious to me Mr Moeckel has had little experience with drug
dependency.

It sounds to me we wouldn't have any more heroin addicts because the
illicit trade would die due to availability of prescription heroin if
Mr Moeckel's theory had any credit.

Maybe he could enlighten me to some question I have on this
theory.

Who is going to administer the heroin injections considering an addict
can need three to five hits a day?

Would they have to be supervised with each dose so the heroin doesn't
end up on the streets? We have witnessed this with takeaway legal methadone.

If administered by a doctor, would large doses of heroin be kept on
the premises, subjecting surgeries to break-ins?

What if only Queensland legalised heroin? Would that make us a target
for drug addicts all over Australia, putting a strain on our medical
services?

Would we have to set up drug patrols on the state borders?

What if Australia legalised heroin? Would we be considered high-risk
to tourists and immigrants?

Would every doctor be entitled to prescribe heroin?

What if a 15-year-old attended a doctor and said "I'm a heroin
addict"?

Would the doctor be prohibited from prescribing heroin to a minor?
What legal liability would the doctor have?

Would anybody supervise the position of power doctors would gain as
the drug supplier of addicts?

How much would legal heroin cost the community? Could it be $2000 per
addict each week?

Are we then going to offer pethadine, morphine, cocaine, crack
cocaine, marijuana and amphetamine?

My theory is legal heroin will only reduce the price of the illicit
trade.

Drug addicts will then have two suppliers, the taxpayers of Australia
being one of them.

Because of the cost the addict will use more, his or her prescription
plus the street heroin.

Drug addicts will inject up to six times a day if the supply is
sufficient.

Dealers will target younger and younger victims to keep their business
thriving.

Let's follow Sweden's example and get tough on the peddlers of this
filth.

Set up rehab centres in major cities, along with drug courts and a
good drug education program in our schools.

We need tighter border control and more police to disrupt the street
trade.

Prevention is priceless, cure is costly, and heroin addicts die from
pure heroin not just cut. There is no safe way to use drugs.

TRISH FARMER,
Bundaberg