$220M DRUGS FIGHT PUSH

The Prime Minister yesterday won a mixed reaction from Premiers to a
new thrust in his drugs campaign.

He pledged $220 million, much of it to go to programs to divert drug
users from the criminal justice system to treatment centres. Mr Howard
said up to 300,000 treatment places could be provided over four years
in State-based "diversionary" schemes.

Speaking after a special session of the Premiers' Conference agreed to
what will involve a big switch in law enforcement procedures, Mr
Howard said drug offenders who were deemed unlikely to benefit from
court would be offered treatment.

The change would "not only be of enormous long-term benefit to them
but also to the community", Mr Howard said after the session on drug
strategies.

The Premiers also agreed to:

A national plan to upgrade the campaign against drug use in schools,
including local "summits" to discuss the issue.

Trial diversionary treatment programs in prisons.

Facilitate alternative treatments and noted that the Commonwealth
would fast-track consideration of the listing of the anti-addiction
drug naltrexone on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule, which would
make it eligible for subsidies. The Premier, Mr Carr, welcomed Mr
Howard's plan, saying it would mean $17 million a year to NSW. While
there was an element of compulsion in Mr Howard's proposal for
diversionary treatment, he did not think it was a bad thing. "Someone
in trouble with the law is steered compulsorily into assessment. If it
were compulsory treatment, it would not work," he said.

"We need bold, persistent experimentation in drugs policy and the
modest increase in Commonwealth financial involvement is welcome."

However, some leaders were less enthusiastic.

According to AAP, the ACT Chief Minister, Ms Kate Carnell, said the
package was disappointing and that Mr Howard lacked appreciation of
the problem.

"I think the Prime Minister's comments that this money was going to
produce 300,000 extra treatment places a year was a huge overstatement
of what $50 million can achieve," Ms Carnell said. The Victorian
Premier, Mr Kennett, said much more work was needed on allocating the
funding.

The South Australian Premier, Mr Olsen, said his State would have
liked to see $220 million in one year, not over four.

Under the strategy, the Commonwealth will finance the treatment and
the States and Territories will provide the police services.

Mr Howard said the schemes would be similar to the NSW Drug Court and
to diversionary procedures being trialled in Victoria.