DEATH FIGURES RAISE NALTREXONE DOUBTS

CLAIMS by Naltrexone advocates that wider use of the detoxification
drug had cut the West Australian heroin death rate have been
contradicted by government figures.

Until yesterday, 85 West Australians had died from suspected heroin
overdoses in 1999 compared with last year's figure of 77.

This is expected to be a record year for heroin deaths, although the
final figure may decrease depending on the results of pending coronial
inquests.

Yet earlier this month, prominent Naltrexone pioneer George O'Neil
claimed Western Australia's heroin death rate was declining due to the
growing use of Naltrexone in treating heroin addiction.

Dr O'Neil was yesterday unrepentant about his claims, which he had
used to argue for wider acceptance of Naltrexone around Australia.

"It doesn't make a lot of difference - it's in the same order," he
told The Australian.

"It really doesn't matter whether it's 80 or 85 - it's been 80, plus
or minus five, for the last few years."

Last year's figure of 77 deaths was down from 1997 when 83 people died
from suspected heroin overdoses. In 1996, 45 people died and in 1995,
66.

A spokeswoman from the WA Drug Abuse Strategy Office stressed that the
figures for 1995 and 1996 were final, confirmed by coronial inquests
and that the figures for 1997-1999 were unconfirmed and likely to drop
following the exclusion of suicide and other factors at an inquest.

Dr O'Neil said he would have "preferred it stayed around 80" but was
not overly fazed by the numbers which he said further illustrated the
stabilising effect that the increased use of the drug, together with
methadone programs, had.

Dr O'Neil runs a private Perth clinic where he treats about 100
addicts a month with an intense rapid detoxification program.

He said the figures proved that while the rest of Australia, in
particular NSW and Victoria, was experiencing increases each year,
WA's overdose death-rate remained static.

The Court Government's decision to help fund his burgeoning Naltrexone
treatment program and the privatisation of the widespread methadone
program had made a huge impact, he said.

The figures for suspected heroin overdose deaths are collated by the
drug abuse strategy office from daily data provided by the police
coronial inquiry section.