FEDERAL INQUIRY TO FOCUS ON DRUGS

Melbourne's controversial heroin injecting rooms, the community impact of
drug diversion programs and cocaine, heroin, alcohol and tobacco use will
be examined by a federal parliamentary inquiry.

The inquiry will focus on how drug abuse affects crime, violence and law
enforcement, family relationships, road trauma, the workplace and health
care costs. It will be conducted by the House of Representatives Family and
Community Affairs Committee.

The "Drug abuse in Australian communities" investigation will be the first
broad-ranging inquiry into drug abuse by a Federal Parliamentary committee
for 20 years. It will hold public hearings around the country and report to
Parliament in about 12 months time.

Committee chairman, South Australian Liberal MP Barry Wakelin, said the
social and economic cost of drug abuse had soared in recent years and a
parliamentary inquiry was long overdue.

In recent months it is believed the committee lobbied hard for the inquiry.
Federal Health Minister Dr Michael Wooldridge referred the inquiry last week.

Yesterday Mr Wakelin said he did not have a view on heroin injecting rooms.
It was important that the committee include legal drugs, such as tobacco,
alcohol and pharmaceuticals, in its investigation, he said.

"There's no doubt in my mind that the implications of legal drugs are
significantly overlooked," he said.

Drug abuse took an enormous toll on the community, he said. "There is
evidence that it costs the Australian community more than $18 billion
annually," he said.

Committee member and prominent Liberal backbencher Dr Brendan Nelson said
the inquiry would examine the availability of drug detoxification and
rehabilitation programs for addicts.

Dr Nelson said he expected there would also be an examination of the
relationship between smoking and the use of other drugs.

Everyday, 54 people died from the consequences of tobacco use, he said. "It
should not be forgotten that our number one drug problem is tobacco," he said.

The inquiry has been advertised in major newspapers around the country and
is seeking public submissions.

Dr Rob Moodie, chief executive of the State Government-funded health
promotion agency VicHealth, welcomed the inquiry. In public health terms, a
mere $60 million in tobacco control spending would slash smoking rates to
about 18 or 20 per cent, he said.

"At the moment we have an over-promotion of legal drugs and tobacco
companies getting away with murder. And yet with illegal drugs we can't do
anything substantial because it's completely outside our control," he said.

The Law Council of Australia also expressed support for the inquiry.