COAST SAYS KILL THE PUSHERS

THE South Coast community wants to get tough on drugs.

The death sentence for drug pushers, an end to needle exchange and
methadone programs and harsher penalties for drug users were just a few
suggestions from a survey on drug issues sent out by Gilmore MP Joanna Gash
last month.

About 400 of the 670 residents sent surveys have already responded and the
overwhelming feeling is one of zero tolerance, according to Ms Gash.

``The preliminary survey results show that the people of the South Coast
want harsher penalties for drug pushers, with strong support for the death
penalty,'' she said. ``The residents surveyed also believed in the `three
strikes and you are in jail' sentencing for drug crime.''

Of those surveyed, only one in three was open to the establishment of
heroin shooting galleries.

``Personally I am still in a quandary over the issue of safe injecting
rooms - I would like to have more of a definite answer but I can see the
advantages and the disadvantages,'' Ms Gash said.

``Harm minimisation can increase the quality of life for the injecting
users as well as protect the friends, family and general public around
them, however help to inject drugs could be construed as tacit approval for
the activity by those of impressionable mind - especially the young.''

Ms Gash said she felt there was no one solution to the problem.

``Naltrexone has to be considered, for some people the results seem
promising,'' she said.

``We may have to use several different programs to assist the wide range of
people and their particular needs. The one must, though, is further
education from primary school onwards.''

The survey also revealed that most people were against the
decriminalisation of marijuana while many were in favour of drug courts.