T-ROOM CLOSES, FOUR TO OPEN

NEW heroin injecting rooms are planned for three States, but the only room
in operation closed its doors yesterday following extensive public and
political pressure, and a raid by NSW police.

An organiser at Sydney's Wayside Chapel, Tony Trimingham, indicated church
and health groups would open other injecting rooms around the country as a
result of their efforts.

"We've received at least four indications from other places that churches
will be opening their doors to such facilities," he said.

Mr Trimingham, whose son died from a heroin overdose, said the indications
had come from congregations in Melbourne, Brisbane and the NSW central coast.

The Wayside Chapel's injecting room, dubbed the Tolerance Room, was opened
11 days ago in Sydney's Kings Cross by a group concerned that existing drug
policies were not preventing heroin deaths.

The T-room, in defiance of NSW law and John Howard's zero tolerance stance
on drugs, was branded a stunt by politicians who said organisers should
have waited for the NSW Government's drug summit, starting on Monday.

The Wayside Chapel's Reverend Ray Richmond said yesterday organisers had
reluctantly agreed to shut the T-Room, at least temporarily, as they did
not want to "inflame debate" during the summit.

"A lot of people have said we were just pulling a political stunt, and
that's never been our intention," he said.

"We want to calm the situation and appeal to everyone to allow health
policies to be based on both reason and openness to hearing all kinds of
positions and statements."

The closure comes as NSW Attorney-General Jeff Shaw considers legalising
the self-administration of a prohibited drug. Sources said this meant
aiding and abetting the self-administration of a drug would also be legalised.