COALITION SITS ON MONEY FOR DRUGS

The Government has spent less than 15 per cent of the $2.5 million
earmarked for educating children about drugs, almost two years after
the Prime Minister announced his priority Tough On Drugs policy.

The Government's spokesman on education in the Senate, Senator Chris
Ellison, yesterday said the money set aside for the 1998-99 drug
strategy was "not lost", but had become mired in bureaucracy.

"We have not yet reached a stage where full expenditure is
appropriate," Senator Ellison said.

The parliamentary secretary for education, Ms Trish Worth, confirmed
no school or program had received any direct funds.

"It would be easy to throw money at the problem and everyone could
feel pious," Ms Worth said.

"But I'm absolutely determined this will be done right."

The Prime Minister said in November 1997 that "every parent lives in
fear of the impact of drugs ... our Tough On Drugs strategy provides
moral leadership against drugs - for our children's sake."

Mr Howard said then that the scheme would take time to show results
but he was "determined to discourage a whole new generation of drug
users by the best means available".

But just $340,000 has been spent on administration, including $70,000
used by the National Advisory Committee on School Drug Education.

The five-year plan has a budget of $18 million, with $2.5 million set
aside for 1998-99 and $4 million for the current financial year.

Ms Worth said the money would allow each school to have their own drug
summit, as well as funding CDs and videos.

An additional $9.3 million had been allocated for the States and
territories to form "national protocols" and ensure that State
programs met both local needs and national priorities.

"Consumption reduction and abstinence are important strategies to
achieve this objective."

But Democrats Senator Lyn Allison condemned the slow progress on the
drug strategy and expressed further concern that when funding was
given to schools, it would be on the basis of how closely they were
aligned with the Prime Minister's "zero tolerance" approach.

"Can any school-based harm minimisation initiatives co-exist with this
aim?" Senator Allison asked.

She said any strategy must distinguish between harder and softer drugs
and cited an instance in Britain of a 10-year-old boy bringing
marijuana to his school's "show and tell".

"Should this boy have been expelled from school? Prime Minister Howard
has urged schools to expel any student using illegal drugs. Perhaps
the marijuana came from the boy's parents.

"This incident neatly illustrates the point that, rather than being
readily identifiable deviants, cannabis users often come from all
walks of life - they are parents, employees, executives, teachers,
stockbrokers, newsreaders, our favourite musicians and even
politicians.

"Widespread usage is exactly why we cannot get through to children on
a 'just say no' message alone."

Ms Worth denied that only "zero tolerance" plans would be funded, and
said the education strategy had been extended to legal as well as
illegal drugs.

She said she wanted all anti-drugs schemes to be solidly based in
health education where kids would be told the "harsh realities" of
drugs.