SAFE INJECTING ROOMS ONE OPTION WHICH NEEDS SERIOUS CONSIDERATION

There's something to be said for the suggestion last week by newly appointed
Anglican Primate of Australian, Archbishop Peter Carnley, that it's
essential safe injecting rooms be established across the country for drug
addicts.

Archbishop Peter Carnley has long preached the need for safe injecting
rooms, a controversial stance which has drawn him into conflict with
numerous high profile politicians.

He said it was totally unrealistic to think one such facility would attract
all drug addicts to Kings Cross to shoot up. He believes safe injecting
rooms are an essential tool in the battle against drugs.

In light of yesterday's revelations at Kelso, Bishop Carnley is 100 per cent
correct.

Businessman Brian Kleinschafer, is rapidly tiring of arriving at work only
to find used syringes at the rear of his store.

Why should Mr Kleinschafer have to pay vast sums of money to security firms
in the hope of eliminating the problem from his back door?

In reality, the only thing such measures do is move the problem to another
location to become another person's headache.

Safe injecting rooms may not be THE answer, but they could go a long way
toward getting drugs off the streets.

In short, Bathurst needs one or two safe injecting rooms in an effort to rid
this city of syringes discarded in the streets, alley ways, parks and
children's playgrounds.

Safe injecting rooms are a controversial issue and although unpalatable to
many they need to be tried in the war against drugs. To date, nothing else
has worked.

Although it appears to be pandering to drug addicts, extensive efforts are
needed to curb the use of illegal drugs in the community.

Safe injecting rooms are one option which need serious consideration on a
large scale in this fight.