WHAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE DONE

INCREASED education, a police war on dealers, more detox programs and
stronger family units are your answers to stopping Victoria’s heroin crisis

The Herald Sun asked readers for their solutions to the drug problem after
the community was split by the Penington report, which suggested a trial of
five legal heroin injecting rooms in Melbourne suburbs.

But readers have overwhelmingly opposed the move. Nearly all of our letters
argued against the proposed legal shooting galleries.

Readers said addicts were desperate to shoot up and would not wait to get to
the rooms.

Others said injecting rooms would not encourage addicts to quit and did not
treat the underlying reason for their addiction.

The most common solution from readers involved a multi-faceted approach.

It suggested stiffer penalties foe drug dealers, better education in schools
to increase self esteem and warn against drugs, and more detox programs for
addicts who want to stop using.

The Herald Sun got many moving letters from former addicts and parents of
drug addicts who have died from overdoses.

One woman told how her daughter-in-law drowned after injecting and she now
raised the granddaughter.

An 18-year-old woman told of her addiction to alcohol and marijuana, which
she stopped using this year after finding out she was pregnant.

She said the government had to commit more money in detox programs,
education and policing.

A Vietnam veteran said young people had too many rights and not enough
responsibility and were bored with life.

Two women told how their children were addicted to heroin and of the
devastating effect it had on their lives.

A former user from country Victoria told of her shame in stealing ftom her
family.

Most readers said a solutlon was complex and required a joint effort by all
tiers of government and the police.

Some of the comments from readers included:

"When parents knew where their children were and who they associated with
we, did not have a drug problem." (Mrs) Jane Faull, Thomastown

"Why don’t they make detox more available?" M. Marnovic

"Self-esteem must be instilled at an early age and nurtured throughout a
young person’s life." E. Deans

"Education needs to be made a vital part of everyone a life." Simon
Dunkerley, Blackburn

"It would be better to help these people get off the drugs with more detox
centres instead or encouraging them." 74-year-old, Newport

"Proper long-term drug rehabilitation centres need to be established." David
Rudey, Moorabbin

"A taskforce needs to look at the people who don’t need or do drugs. They
need to research what it is about these people’s lives that makes them not
interested in doing drugs." Name and address supplied.

"Get to the root of the problem and give very stiff sentences to drug
suppliers and distributors." Allan Chivell, Beulah

"If all the money spent on drug addicts was spent on catching the suppliers
and providing them with harsh jail conditions, the problem would soon
disappear." T. Flynn, Nar Nar Goon

"I feel heroin should be legalised, as with methadone. Long-term addicts
with supervised doses are quite capable of working." L. Beath, Geelong

"Set up a hospital unit and commit addicts to it. Don’t release them until
they’ve recovered." Name supplied, Toora

"Tougher police action. Rehabilitation centres. Ambulance officers to lend
more assistance. More education in schools." Name and address supplied

"A zero tolerance approach with every person caught selling drugs being
removed from society for at least one year." M. Mead, Mornington

"The initial focus should be to find out why people have the desire to use
these products." Jim McLeod, Bundoora

"Get the supply before it hits the streets." (Mrs) Pat Lancaster, Traralgon

"Death penalty for all importers and pushers." Dru Gicchen (grandmother)
Kellor

"The only way to deal with this problem is zero tolerance." R. J. Robertson,
Preston

"Start by setting up more detox centres in every hospital in the country."
Gary Moore, Kew

"Every school should be taken to a drug ward so they can see first-hand the
terrible things it does to the body." (Mrs) D. Bean, Koo Wee Eup

"Win the war against the pushers and then let’s reclaim our children."
Martin Vink, Dandenong