SHOOTING GALLERY SENDS WRONG MESSAGE: SALVOS

THE trial of Australia's first heroin shooting gallery was the one negative
in the New South Wales Government's new drugs strategy, the Salvation Army
said today.

The army's drug rehabilitation services commander, Major Brian Watters, said
the trial sent a message of acceptance and tolerance that could have serious
long-term consequences.

"The underlying statement is that you can come here and use drugs safely.
That's nonsense: you might be able to use a needle safely, but you won't
know what drug you're injecting," he said.

Major Watters praised the Government's overall commitment to rehabilitation
but said he was disappointed with the injecting room trial.

"It's not consistent with all of those commitments to getting people to
becoming drug free and offering every sort of counselling and treatment
facility," he said.

Police would be forced to turn a blind eye to drug dealers who would
congregate around the shooting gallery.

"We should not be allowing people to use drugs on the street; we need to be
very firm on this," he said.