INJECTING ROOMS: NO WAY TO RIGHT A WRONG

In June 1997, Mr Tony Trimingham and the Rev Bill Crews assembled a group
of diverse people from all over Sydney with a common interest - what to do
about the debilitating scourge of drug abuse in the community. They called
for a bipartisan approach to work out solutions and strategies to contain
and deal with the problems and issues. From that assemblage the
organisation called Family Drug Support was born.

Membership consists of people of all political persuasions, of all
socio-economic backgrounds. Drug addiction does not acknowledge boundaries
of privilege or destitution. It can happen to anyone, to any family.

Together we have worked out and applied ways and means of minimising the
harm caused by the misuse and abuse of drugs in our community, working off
the factors presented to us here. How can we know what will work without
trialling new measures? How can anyone remote from the problems know what
solutions will work? How can any parent who has not battled with a
drug-related child know what the fight entails?

Please, Mr Howard, listen to the people who know the problem. Listen to
Tony Trimingham, Bill Crews, Dr Alex Wodak and the parents in the
community. Until law and policy makers take their cues from the people who
understand the problems through experience, the problems will not only
continue but will be compounded.

Elly Inta,
December 15, Ashfield.