CLINTON'S DRUGS ADVISER SUPPORTS CANBERRA STANCE

The White House's drug policy director, General Barry McCaffrey, yesterday
backed Mr Howard's opposition to shooting galleries and heroin trials,
describing such reforms as "like pouring alcohol into an alcoholic".

General McCaffrey, who will visit Australia in November to discuss how to
achieve a drug-free Olympics, held a joint press conference with Mr Howard
in Washington yesterday.

General McCaffrey is President Clinton's primary adviser on drugs and
supporter of so-called zero tolerance policies. But he said drug abuse among
adolescents could not be prevented strictly through threats and coercion.

"You have to start with a coherent message to kids from about the 6th grade
to the 12th grade, from people they find credible ... that in our school,
our family, we don't use drugs," he said.

"If you want to reduce drug abuse, you have to have high social disapproval
of drug use. Then you have to have the effective organisations and [have]
that culture make that message."

In his fight for a drug-free Olympics, General McCaffrey is spearheading
United States efforts to introduce year-round testing, an independent
testing commission and a policy of saving samples for the future to counter
cheating by athletes.

He said he thought Australia was better organised in the fight against drugs
in sport than almost any other country.

There was a tremendous amount of interest in how to guarantee that both in
Sydney and Salt Lake City international competition was based on "raw human
talent and spirit" rather than drugs.

So he had accepted an invitation from Mr Howard to learn more about
Australia's approach to the drugs in sport problem.

General McCaffrey said the world was "awash in heroin".

He had told the Prime Minister that probably 800,000 Americans regularly
used heroin. Drug abuse in the United States killed 52,000 people a year.

He opposed a distinction between soft drugs like marijuana and hard drugs.
Drugs like marijuana were a "gateway" to other drugs as well as doing harm
themselves.

General McCaffrey said that it would be a crime to suggest what every heroin
addict would like to believe - that there was some way the drug could be
used safely and the stigma washed off the user.

"The problem is heroin is chronically addictive. You do develop dependence.
Your dose rate goes up. You become incapable of working in any serious way."

Addicts could not feel emotions, including the sense of love for their
family, in the same way as non-addicts.

Mr Howard told the joint press conference that discussion with General
McCaffrey had reinforced in his own mind that there was the right balance in
policy in Australia.

This was a balance between education, effective interception and enforcement
and adequate investment in treatment.

He said the drug courts in the United States were very similar to the
diversion policy being adopted in Australia.