Last weekend I spoke at length to two mothers. One was from country
NSW who had two sons (aged 26 and 28) using heroin.

Last Christmas Eve she lost the eldest to an overdose on the streets
of Sydney. Since the death, the younger brother has been in a state of
acute depression.

Two weeks ago he left home to go to Kings Cross. She has been
frantically trying to locate him since, but she expects to lose him
also.

The other mother lost her 27-year-old son exactly one year ago. He was
found in his boarding house room in Kings Cross five days after his
death. The mother has not stopped crying.

In the meantime, we see the potentially lifesaving Kings Cross
injecting facility trial thwarted by what I can only see as petty
differences and personal agendas.

We now have the Kings Cross Chamber of Commerce proposing that it run
the centre with the support of The Salvation Army (an organisation
which is on the public record as opposing the trial).

It would be funny if we weren't talking about young lives! The Uniting
Church has put months of work into the trial, has recruited expert
staff to establish and run the centre, and we now have the ridiculous
situation of further delays because certain people wish to take cheap
political advantage.

Meanwhile, two to three people die each day in Australia as a result
of illegal drugs. Some of these lives could be saved if this centre
was open.

If the trial starts in October (six months behind schedule) that's 500
or 600 lives lost.

On behalf of their families and friends, for God's sake let
commonsense and compassion allow the trial to go ahead as soon as possible.

Tony Trimingham,
Family Drug Support,
Chatswood