ANOTHER SHOT OF MISERY

A WOMAN young enough to be 25 and old enough to look wretched, ran
from the Wayside Chapel during a police raid yesterday and publicly
injected herself with heroin in a doorway.

Alarmed by the arrival of police, she dashed through the chapel
forecourt, a study in human desperation, needle conspicuous in her
hand.

Hiding in a doorway of the chapel, she rolled up a sleeve of her
woollen purple jumper and ignoring a media army, jabbed a needle in
her arm.

She then re-joined friends and sat slumped, her head on her
chest.

She was one of the portraits of abject misery in the streets of Kings
Cross yesterday, as people floated in worlds of their own, with only
occasional landings on planet reality.

Before police arrived, another young woman came out of the chapel, her
legs rowing increasingly unsteady - she wandered back to stand on a
corner of Darlinghurst Rd.

It was a complex day in the fight between drug tolerance and public
condemnation on a battlefield of sleeze and human misery.

Attempts to force shooting galleries into public consciousness as
genuine drug reform, still struggle for credibility.

There is no control over the quantity and quality of heroin used by
addicts and no concerted attempt at rehabilitation.

There is simply tolerance and hygiene.

What happens if someone overdoses on chapel premises?

And can addicts of other drugs like cocaine use the shooting gallery
as well?

Chapel pastor Ray Richmond would not say if addicts used drugs on the
premises yesterday.

But drug reform advocate Tony Trimingham confirmed it
happened.

He said no addicts were using drugs when police arrived but they
returned when officers left.

Police action was both anticipated and unexpected.

They had indicated they would visit the chapel but Trimingham said he
was told no action was planned.

When the raid occurred, he was meeting with overseas experts on drug
reform. He was disgusted only six parliamentarians attended the conference.

"Except for Clover Moore, NSW politicians have no idea of life at the
drug coalface," he said.

Richmond's lodging of perhaps the first sanctuary claim since
Quasimodo, was overcome at the chapel door.

Police simply asked to be invited inside and Richmond
complied.