HEROIN PLAN AT ODDS WITH TOBACCO LAWS

OUR CURRENT drug policies are hopelessly contradictory. Substantial new
punitive advertising restrictions are to be placed on ACT (and NSW) tobacco
retailers. I am not against these new regulations, but remember they relate
to legal products that kill about 17,000 annually Australia wide. However,
Mr Michael Moore wants to open shooting galleries for the public to actually
use dangerous illegal drugs that already kill about 800 annually.

Where is the sense, as such, in restricting the advertising of the larger
legal killer but virtually legalising and promoting the use of the illegal
killers? Legalising and promoting tobacco in the first instance was
precisely how that drug became the scourge that it is, and has been, for 200
years! Do we want the 800 to increase to 17,000 eventually? We are on path
to do it.

C. A. PARRETT Bruce