WHERE ZERO TOLERANCE SHOULD BEGIN

Your correspondent Ted Bassingthwaighte (Letters, May 12) suggests
drug users, police, academics, legal and health professionals have
been spurned by the Drug Summit in favour of one group: parents.

In fact, the majority of participants come from the professions and
interest groups Mr Bassingthwaighte lists.

Representing the perspective of drug users are a number of individuals
including Annie Madden and Maureen Steele (NSW Users and AIDS
Association).

There are also pharmacists, police officers, lawyers, ambulance
officers, GPs, drug and alcohol workers, young people, mayors and
community workers.

Among academics attending are: Dr Gabriele Bammer (National Centre for
Epidemiology and Population Health); Professor Peter Reuter
(University of Maryland in the US); Professor Wayne Hall (National
Drug and Alcohol Research Centre); Professor Ian Webster (Alcohol and
Other Drugs Cpuncil of Australia); Professor Tim Stockwell (National
Centre for Research into the Prevention of Drug Abuse); Dr Alex Wodak
(St Vincent's Hospital).

One session will see delegates visiting treatment centres, methadone
clinics and needle programs.

Bob Carr,
Premier of NSW, Sydney