DRUG REVENGE TARGETS DOCTOR

A TASMANIAN doctor whose surgery has been burgled seven times in two years
believes he is being targeted because of his tough stance against drugs.

Thieves used a sledge-hammer to smash into his clinic for their latest
break-in early yesterday morning.

A furious Dr David Flecker said yesterday: "We had six break-ins in eight
months then it went quiet for about 18 months.

"This time they used a sledge-hammer to get in and took a lap-top computer.

"No doubt they'll sell it to get drugs."

Dr Flecker said that his business, the Northern Suburbs Clinic, had been at
the same address in Main Rd Glenorchy for 23 years.

He believed the offenders may be people the clinic has turned away when
they came shopping around for drugs.

"People come looking for their Panadeine Forte, their Valium or their
benzodiazepams," he said.

"We're pretty on the ball and turn them away.

"That could be a factor."

Acting secretary of the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Medical
Association Tony Lawler said that doctor shoppers could pose risks to doctors.

"Without doubt a lot of people who engage in doctor shopping have developed
a quite sophisticated system to get what they want," Dr Lawler said.

"They have also developed a quite undesirable procedure for dealing with
doctors who don't go along with their plans."

Dr Lawler said that a section of the community was prepared to "threaten,
intimidate and cajole" doctors to receive the drugs they craved.

Dr Flecker said that no charges had ever been laid over any of the
burglaries, which he believed were all drug-related.

"There is a huge drug problem out here, don't let anyone tell you
differently," he said.

"I'm angry, and just frustrated, I really wonder where society is going."

The clinic has an alarm, deadlocks and bars on all its windows.

Undeterred, the thieves smashed through a double brick wall to gain access
to a consulting room.

Dr Flecker said that the bill from the break-in would add up to thousands
of dollars, through difficulties running the business for the day, repairs,
replacement of the computer and insurance premiums.

He said that politicians were not addressing the issue of drugs and related
crime.

"They're just blinkered to it," he said.

"If they legalised the drugs that people are after it would cut out the
associated crime.

"That's just my personal opinion.

"Prohibition didn't work in America and it's not going to work here."

Dr Flecker also lashed out at the court system, which he said did nothing
to deter criminals.

"The criminals have got far more protection than anyone else, the courts
just let them off anyway," he said.

Police are investigating the latest break-in at the clinic.