DRUGS AND THE NEED FOR LEADERSHIP

IRRESPECTIVE of how one comes down on the question of supervised injecting
rooms, the observation by the Victorian Government's adviser on drug
policy, David Penington, that society is in denial about the drug crisis is
beyond challenge. The unseemly spectacle of Dr Penington being harangued at
a recent public meeting in Dandenong provided further confirmation that too
many people are still under the impression that the drug problem will be
defeated by loud voices, indignant rhetoric and the ``Just Say No'' mantra.
Without doubt, heroin is a deadly drug and there are sound reasons for it
remaining illegal. But it is made even more deadly by the circumstances in
which many addicts inject it. That is the thinking behind the pilot program
for supervised heroin-injecting facilities being proposed by the Victorian
Government and advocated by Dr Penington. The efficacy of establishing
permanent supervised injecting rooms remains in question, given the
uncertainties about law enforcement in the immediate vicinity of the
facilities and the ultimate effectiveness of the rooms in saving lives.

But, on balance, we believe a trial should go ahead. However, getting the
pilot program up requires a shoulder-to-the-wheel approach by everyone who
supports the trial. As Dr Penington has pointed out, local communities want
to tackle the drug crisis on two conditions: that someone else does the
work and that they do it somewhere else. This attitude is unrealistic and
self-defeating. Among the most deluded of the arguments against injecting
rooms is the suggestion that the facilities will create a ``honey pot''
effect by attracting drug users. The existing heavy heroin-trade areas are
already honey pots and it is ridiculous to suggest otherwise. The drug
problem in our society has its roots in our homes, in our schools, in our
workplaces, in our popular culture. As Dr Penington says, the best way to
roll back heroin use is to make young people feel valued. Part of that
approach must be an acknowledgement by the community that heroin users are
part of our society and not outside it. The Bracks Government needs to
redouble its efforts on this issue. While it has shown sensitivity to local
concerns by encouraging a consultation process, the government should also
understand that the time for debating these issues is nearing expiration.
Debates do not equate with action, and Dr Penington's experience in
Dandenong shows that without strong leadership - a thorough and forceful
advocacy of the government's position from Premier Steve Bracks, Health
Minister John Thwaites and Labor's back bench - the trial proposal will
continue to be trouble-plagued. It is part of the government's job to shake
complacent citizens from their state of denial. The lives of many, many
young people could depend on it.