SAFE INJECTING ROOMS KEEP ADDICTS ALIVE

IN HER letter "That 'safe' injecting room? Safe from what?" (CT, 8
April) Carrie May makes some points that must be corrected. She
asserts that safe injecting rooms keep people safe from the effects of
their drugs. This premise is completely false.

She goes on to inform us that safe injecting rooms are keeping their
participants safe from prosecution. It is true that they are
committing an illegal act and a dangerous one, however, what is
better? - committing these acts on the street? In Ms May's opinion, it
seems so.

Then she brings God into the argument, saying that God is the lone
entity that can help them, and safe injecting rooms are keeping the
addicts from realising that. Why, Ms May, do drug addicts exist at all
if they could all turn to God for some magic solution? It is because
the addicts are not in control, Ms May. The drugs are.

The purpose of safe injecting rooms is to keep the addicts safe from
often fatal diseases caused by sharing of needles.

In the future, perhaps, they will be supplied with drugs that are not
lethally pure, in decreasing doses. God can come later, when they are
off their drugs.

Which would you prefer, Ms May? - a dead addict, who can never turn to
God? or one who is off his or her drugs and ready to make a new start
in society?

Safe injecting rooms are bold political initiatives, and
congratulations to our ACT politicians for their support.

JON TUNN
Campbell