SET UP SAFE INJECTING ROOM IN CITY, SAYS MP

A safe injecting room should be set up in Wollongong because of high
heroin use by addicts, recently elected NSW Upper House Greens member
Lee Rhiannon said yesterday

``Drugs need to be seen as a social and health issue - not as a
criminal issue,'' Ms Rhiannon said. ``We're quite sure that sooner or
later this will be taken up but considering here it's a matter of life
or death, the sooner it is taken up more lives will be saved.''

Ms Rhiannon was in Wollongong on the weekend to attend a post-election
summit and thank supporters for their role in the recent election campaign.

``When Parliament resumes next week, the Greens will be releasing our
plan for reducing crime and drug use through social policy solutions,
rather than law-and-order hysteria,'' she said.

``By making criminals of young people who use drugs, the Government is
simply guaranteeing the future profits of participants in the drug
trade.

``Meanwhile, more of those young people will die from overdoses which
could easily be prevented.''

Ms Rhiannon said the Greens did not encourage the use of any drug but
there was ample evidence that safe injecting rooms saved lives.

``We support the courageous action of the Wayside Chapel in opening a
facility in Kings Cross ... such a facility in Wollongong would have
similar results,'' she said.