NO FREE HEROIN, SAYS BRACKS

MELBOURNE - Victorian Premier Steve Bracks today dismissed the prospect of
addicts being given free heroin in Victoria after a minister said the
government wanted to trial the scheme.

The new government's sensitivity on the drugs issue was demonstrated when
Bracks phoned a Melbourne radio station this morning to reject reports the
government planned to set up medically supervised heroin trials.

"We can't do it. The reality is we don't have the power as a state
government," Bracks said.

The premier was responding to comments by Police Minister Andre Haermeyer to
a newspaper that the government would ask the federal government to
cooperate in a medically supervised heroin trial.

While a trial remains Labor policy, it will not be investigated by the
committee established under Dr David Penington to oversee the government's
drug reforms, which includes up to five heroin safe-injecting facilities.

Bracks told radio 3AW the government wanted to conduct a heroin trial, as
did the previous government, but could not import heroin without federal
approval under the Customs Act.

"We don't have the capacity and we won't be going it alone in Victoria. We
can't do it," he said.

But he said another approach to the federal government could be made at the
next Coalition of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting.

Prime Minister John Howard has ruled out approval for a heroin trial,
vetoing Australia's first attempt at such an experiment in the ACT in 1997.

Bracks said a trial would have to be worked through with the full support of
the community.

There was now bipartisan support for such a trial in Victoria, he said.

The government's attempts to set up controversial safe-injection facilities
at drug hotspots around Melbourne received critical support yesterday from
Melbourne Lord Mayor Peter Costigan.

Costigan had first opposed the move but was convinced by a Melbourne
University study recommending the trial go ahead.