BATTLE LINES DRAWN AS SUMMIT DEEPENS

The head of Prime Minister John Howard's drugs advisory council came under
fire yesterday as battle lines emerged between conservatives and reformers
at the NSW drug summit.

The Salvation Army's Major Brian Watters maintained his opposition to any
relaxation of drug laws, saying allowing shooting galleries would lead to
the legalisation of heroin, cocaine and amphetamines.

``What we are really looking at is an incremental shift in policy that
would involve ... the availability of what are currently illicit drugs,''
he told the summit.

Under questioning from reformers, Maj Watters stood by the abstinence-based
approach that he has advocated as head of Mr Howard's advisory council.

``I don't know what the experts know but I know what I know,'' he said.

Uniting Church Reverend Harry Herbert said Maj Watters was engaging in
``trench warfare'' over decriminalisation of marijuana.

Drugs campaigner Tony Trimingham, one of the organisers of the ``T-Room''
illegal shooting gallery, drew gasps when he asked Maj Watters to explain
why he once said ``the wages of sin are death and addiction is a sin''.

Maj Watters said he had been quoting the Bible to show that choosing
treatment was like choosing ``God's gift of life'' for addicts.

Professor Peter Reuter of Maryland University said there was no scientific
evidence to show that US-style zero tolerance policies would curb the drug
problem.

``Beware of Americans bearing certainties,'' he said.

``The end of the Cold War may have been a good thing but it has not made
American policy-makers one bit more humble; particularly in this area they
are prone to claims that I would argue are implausible, particularly as to
the values of toughness.''

Meantime, one of the Government's strongest opponents of heroin shooting
galleries, Cabramatta MP Reba Meagher, softened her stance by calling for a
referendum on the issue at the September local government elections. Ms
Meagher said local communities needed the final say on whether shooting
galleries were established in their area.

``Many residents of Kings Cross may support safe injecting rooms while the
community of Cabramatta has continually opposed them,'' she said.

Christian Democrats MP Fred Nile said addicts could be housed in army
barracks for 12 months while they underwent treatment with Naltrexone, the
blocker drug that prevents addicts getting a hit from heroin.