HEROIN SHOOTING GALLERY FOR ACT

The ACT is set to trial a safe-injecting room for heroin users in Civic
after Labor Leader Jon Stanhope gave the project the green light last night.

But Mr Stanhope said he wanted to ensure that proper safeguards were in
place before the room opened.

"[Health Minister] Michael Moore seems to want to engage in a race with
[NSW Premier] Bob Carr. I have no desire to engage in a race," Mr Stanhope
said.

Labor's support was conditional upon the facility being run on a two-year
trial basis with six-monthly reviews. And the trial would have to be
supervised by a committee with broad representation across the ACT community.

Mr Moore welcomed Labor's support and said he would move to have a
safe-injecting room in Civic by the end of the year.

" . . . the longer we delay the greater the spread of disease and the more
lives are lost," Mr Moore said.

"It's critical that it be in the Civic area because that's where our drug
users gather. That's where we have most problems with overdosing in toilets."

A safe-injecting room could be funded in the 1999-2000 Budget through a
Treasurer's advance for special projects. It would cost less than $500,000
to run the facility each year.

"I am absolutely delighted that Labor has finally seen a way clear to stop
their delaying tactics and get on with the job," Mr Moore said.

Mr Stanhope has drafted amendments to Mr Moore's proposed legislation on a
safe-injecting room. He will send them to Assembly Members and community
organisations today.

"These are difficult and complex issues," Mr Stanhope said.

"The community has a right to know how it's going to be done. And I think
this legislative approach is a good one."

He wanted to ensure that:

The room was only open to people who admitted they were addicted to a drug
of dependence.

Addicts were offered counselling and other diversionary treatments.

Workers were protected from criminal and civil liability.

The Attorney-General and the Director of Public Prosecutions published a
protocol so that drug users would not be prosecuted in the facility.

The trial would be subject to rigorous evaluation in terms of its impact on
crime rates, blood-borne infection, and emergency overdose calls.

Mr Moore said Mr Stanhope's draft amendments were consistent with the
information he had already provided to Labor.

"I see the legislation as unnecessary because the Government can meet all
Mr Stanhope's objectives by administrative action. But if it makes him
happy to . . . put it into a legislative framework then I'm sure we can
work our way through that as quickly as possible."