RESULTS BACK TRIALS

THE Bracks Government's Benalla win proves there is support for a trial of
heroin injecting rooms, says Open Family youth worker Les Twentyman.

The country by-election win was the ultimate test of the government's
policy, especially after the National Party's scare campaign, Mr Twentyman
said yesterday. The Nationals ran TV ads during the campaign warning
residents a vote for Labor was a vote for shooting galleries.

Mr Twentyman said Melburnians should consider the result a de facto
referendum on the proposed trial.

It was time the government got on with the job of introducing the injecting
rooms, he said.

"How many more by-elections does the government have to win before people
realise they have a mandate to implement their health policy?

"We're getting frustrated that it's seven months down the track since this
government was elected and the Penington report's been out and still we're
waiting."

He said there was a major drug problem in country Victoria.

"When I was up in Albury for a couple of days I was talking to our workers
there and they said the problem was very severe," he said.

"It's because that area is part of the drug trail from Sydney down to
Melbourne. And rural Victoria is having a terrible problem with unemployed
youth.

"They're feeling down and they leave the land and flood into the major
cities where there are drugs."

Open Family has five youth workers in country Victoria.

The weekend by-election was forced by the retirement of former National
Party leader Pat McNamara this year, after last year's state election in
which the Kennett government was dumped.