PM'S STOP ON HEROIN ROOMS

Victoria, NSW and the ACT have been told by the Prime Minister, Mr John
Howard, to abandon plans for heroin injecting rooms after a powerful
international agency warned that state governments could be complicit in
drug trafficking.

Mr Howard wrote to the three leaders yesterday to say he could not ignore
the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board's claim that the
proposal would breach Australia's international obligations on drugs. He
urged that Commonwealth and state officials confer on the issue as soon as
possible.

The Victorian Government remained confident last night that its proposed
trial of five injecting rooms would go ahead next year as it did not breach
international covenants.

The Vienna-based board became involved in the issue after NSW Special
Minister of State, Mr John Della Bosca, wrote to its president to explain
his state's proposal for injecting rooms.

Mr Della Bosca told the board his Government was "proudly tough on drugs".
"I understand that this trial may be of some concern to the ... board and I
write particularly to assure the board that the medically supervised
injecting room is being implemented only after careful consideration and
will take the form of an 18-month trial in one location only."

The board wrote back that enabling the possession of drugs for non-medical
consumption was a criminal offence. The board passed the letters on to the
Australian Government.

Mr Howard then wrote to the governments saying they knew he had strong
reservations about injecting rooms. "In light of the board's views, I ask
that you do not proceed with your proposal until the Commonwealth ... with
the states and territories, has had an opportunity to consider all the
implications involved.

"It would be useful if our officials could confer as soon as possible."