PM PULLS RANK: HALT DRUG TRIAL

JOHN Howard has called on the states to abandon plans for safe
heroin-injecting rooms following UN advice that NSW plans were illegal and
could damage the image of the Sydney Olympics.

The UN International Narcotics Control Board has advised the NSW Government
that its plans for safe shooting galleries were contrary to international
drug-control conventions, had serious legal problems and might expose the
Government to complicity in criminal offences.

The board, based in Vienna, has also told Premier Bob Carr and his Special
Minister of State John Della Bosca that the heroin trial would send the
message "that Australia is a place where illicit substances can be abused
with impunity".

"As the host of the year 2000 summer Olympics, Australia should instead be
promoting healthy lifestyles, free from substance abuse," the board said.

Late yesterday, the Prime Minister wrote to Mr Carr and said he had so far
taken the "public position that the health and other aspects of this matter
are essentially issues for state and territory governments".

"However, I cannot ignore assertions that what is proposed could be in
breach of Australia's international obligations," Mr Howard said. "In light
of the board's views, I ask that you do not proceed with your proposal
until the Commonwealth, in discussion with the states and territories, has
had an opportunity to consider all of the implications involved."

Mr Howard made similar pleas to Victorian Labor Premier Steve Bracks and
the Liberal Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory Kate
Carnell, who are also planning similar shooting galleries.

Previous attempts at free-heroin trials in the ACT have foundered because
the proposals breach international and commonwealth laws. Last night, Ms
Carnell said she would be happy to send officials to discuss the board's
concerns with the Prime Minister's office. A spokesman for Mr Della Bosca
said he was considering Mr Howard's request.

In October, Mr Della Bosca wrote to the president of the narcotics control
board, Antonio Martins, informing him of the NSW decision to proceed with a
trial of safe-injecting rooms, which it believed it was allowed to do under
a 1961 convention.

Mr Della Bosca asked that the board address its concerns only to the NSW
Government, a request Mr Howard took exception to yesterday.

But Mr Martins, in a reply to Mr Della Bosca which he copied to the federal
Government, said the NSW proposal was in contravention of the 1961
convention and "various human rights instruments . . .".

He also said "by permitting injection rooms, the Government could be
considered to be facilitating in the commission of possession and use
crimes, as well as other criminal offences including drug trafficking".