ACT MAY HOST FIRST HEROIN TRIAL

The ACT may have a safe heroin injecting room by the end of the year,
pipping NSW which announced yesterday that it would set up facilities next
year.

The ACT Government will also again attempt to initiate a heroin trial after
being torpedoed by the Federal Government two years ago.

ACT Health Minister Michael Moore said yesterday that he was delighted with
NSW Premier Bob Carr's announcement of legalised shooting galleries at
Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital.

The announcement placed significant pressure on the ACT Labor Party, "which
up to now has been extremely conservative on innovative drug law reform".

Mr Moore said the ACT Government would launch its drug strategy in the next
couple of months, covering health, education and policing as well as a safe
injecting room.

"Perhaps even more radical is the willingness of the ACT to trial the
provision of pharmaceutical heroin to users," he said. "We understand that
the Federal Government can prevent us doing that for the time being but we
will continue working to convince the Government on this issue."

Mr Moore said he was confident of getting Legislative Assembly approval for
a safe injecting room. "We expect that we will be able to proceed before
the end of the year," he said.

The NSW scheme is part of a radical revamp of state drug laws, which also
includes a cannabis cautioning system and regional trials of a compulsory
treatment program for small-time users of heroin, speed, LSD and ecstasy.

Most other state leaders greeted Mr Carr's announcement with scepticism.

Catholic order the Sisters of Charity and St Vincent's Hospital will trial
the medically supervised injecting room for 18 months in Sydney's Kings Cross.