DON'T WASTE THIS CHANCE ON DRUGS, MR CARR

Having recently returned from a community policing and drug law
seminar in Nimbin, I have had it confirmed in my mind the futility of
drug prohibition.

In that place so often thought of as the mecca of free expression and
thought, the issues of heroin use and abuse are glaringly obvious. The
use and abuse of heroin, be it in Cabrarnatta, Mosman or Ninibin,
create the same social, health and community problems.

My sadness has been exacerbated by the apparent lack of experiential
contribution to the impending Carr Drug Summit. Mr Rowe and Mrs Wood
have a place in the summit but not at the cost of users, police,
dedicated academics, legal and health professionals.

Please, Mr Carr, do not waste this perfect opportunity to move towards
community-driven solutions to the endemic problem of drug use and
abuse in our society.

Ted Bassingthwaighte
Leeton.
May 10.

Will the coming Drug Summit be another wasted opportunity where
posturing replaces dialogue and paid professionals with conflicts of
interest are treated as equal to, or more important than, affected
members of our community?

If we were serious about change, we'd structure our "debates" to
produce the knowledge, agreement and commitment that we need to
achieve enduring change.

We must reduce our reliance on advice from those receiving the
hundreds of millions paid out in the drug "war". A little thought
shows that it is totally unfair and unreasonable to expect paid
professionals to support or advance policies which weaken their power,
reduce their budgets or make them redundant, no matter how
well-meaning they are.

To make a difference and find mutually acceptable ways to save lives
and improve our society, we need open and honest dialogue between
informed advocates representative of the community. The paid
professionals should be the implementers of our policies, not their
advocates and designers.

If we create "debates" where paid professionals, supported by volumes
of data and funded by current programs, argue strenuously for the
status quo against struggling, and often desperate, families of drug
users and underfunded charities, can we be surprised if we get
distorted results.

Mike Bolan,
Cremorne.
May 10.

I see that Dr Alex Wodak has been at it again. His argument in favour
of safe injecting rooms (Herald, May 7) is soundly reasoned logic
drawn from evidence based on current European research and practice.
Clearly. Dr Wodak is an excelient doctor, but what a lousy politician.

The Rev Dr Gordon Moycs, on the other hand, presents his case against
safe injecting rooms without any recourse to logical argument or
evidence at all, instead relying entirely on emotional appeals with
reference to moral leadership, euthanasia and the Gospel. Clearly,
the good reverend is an excellent politician.

Steve Coady,
Islington,