OUR HEROIN DEATH RATE WORLD'S WORST

VICTORIA has the world's worst heroin problem, according to two
international drug experts.

"I have never seen a heroin death rate like this anywhere in the world," Dr
Franz Trautmann told the Herald Sun.

"This is the worst I have ever seen compared to my studies (in) Europe and
Eastern Europe. Even worse than Moscow.

"There may be a few cities in the US that have experienced a similar
epidemic with crack.

"But nothing compares to the heroin epidemic in Victoria."

Dr Trautmann and Dr Robert Haemmig based their analysis on a comparison of
heroin overdose death rates between Victoria and major European countries.

There have been 114 heroin overdose deaths in Victoria this year, compared
with 209 in Switzerland in all 1998. Victoria is on target for about 475
heroin overdose deaths this year.

This compares with 50 heroin deaths in the Netherlands last year in a
population of 15 million.

In Moscow, there were an estimated 1000 heroin deaths in a population of 12
million.

"That means Victoria probably has the worst heroin death rate in the world
per head of population," said Dr Trautmann, senior adviser on international
projects at the Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction.

The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre found recently there had been
a 700 per cent increase in heroin deaths in Australia between 1979 and 1995.

It found there were 67 heroin deaths per million people in 1995, and 10.7
per million in 1979.

Dr Haemmig said the finding of the 1998 National Drug Strategy Household
Survey that more than 2 per cent of Australian adults considered regular
heroin use acceptable was astounding.

The average acceptance rate across Europe was 1 per cent, he said.

"It makes it very hard for governments to form effective policies when the
acceptance rate is that high," said Dr Haemmig, the institute's head of
substance abuse and risk reduction.

Dr Trautmann said the NDSH survey also found 60 per cent of young
Australian heroin users continued using heroin after they first tried it.

This contrasted with the European average of a 50 per cent drop in the
numbers continuing heroin use after first use.

The dramatic statistics highlight the depth of the Australian heroin
problem on a world scale.

But both experts pointed out they were not critical of government policy or
health and community services used to fight Australia's drug problem.

The experts had talks yesterday with the Victorian Parliament's drugs and
crime prevention committee.

The DCPC is State Parliament's main drugs advisory committee.

It was set up after Professor David Penington's report into drug use.

In its last interim report, it recommended heroin be made available on
prescription to combat the heroin epidemic.

It is expected to repeat the recommendation in its final report to be
tabled in parliament in October.