17 NOW AVERAGE AGE FOR FIRST FIX

FEDERAL Government moves to inject a further $20 million into drug
treatment programs were overshadowed yesterday by a national report
revealing that the average age of first-time heroin users has fallen
to 17.

As John Howard announced the second round of funding for the
Government's $290 million Tough on Drugs strategy, Justice Minister
Amanda Vanstone was conceding that illicit drugs were costing
Australia $1.68 billion a year.

Addressing the launch of the Australian Bureau of Criminal
Intelligence's Illicit Drug Report 1997-98, Senator Vanstone said that
despite major seizures of heroin, cocaine and amphetamines, it was
clear there would be no quick fix to the global drug problem.

The Prime Minister, speaking at a Melbourne welfare agency, said the
Government was committed to "working harder than ever to tackle the
drug problem on all fronts" and supporting research into ways of
beating drug addiction.

Mr Howard and Senator Vanstone maintained their opposition to "risky"
heroin trials, with the Justice Minister stating that the Government
had "made its decision . . . and won't be changing it".

But Victorian police Chief Commissioner and ABCI chairman Neil Comrie,
speaking at the launch of the report, said he believed community
support for the concept was growing and could eventually influence
government.

Mr Comrie renewed his calls for a small, regulated, scientific heroin
trial and said he had a "philosophical disagreement" with the Federal
Government on the matter.

"The reality is, if we don't try something like (a trial), these are
the people who are going to add to overdose statistics and, in the
meantime, to support their drug addictions of $400 to $500 a day, are
going to continue to commit crime," he said.

"If you do such a small scientific experiment . . . if it doesn't work
you abandon it; you've lost nothing. If it does work, it opens a whole
lot of doors . . ."

The bureau's report finds that the average age of first-time heroin
users has dropped from 26 to 17.5 "in recent years" in what Mr Comrie
described as a "terrible tragedy for the whole Australian community".

It finds that total heroin seizures rose from 237kg in 1996-97 to 299
in 1997-98.

Amphetamines were found to be more readily available in Queensland and
NSW, where most production occurred. And 95 clandestine laboratories
were detected in 1997-98, up from 58 the previous financial year.

Police also expressed concern about growing numbers of people
injecting cocaine in Sydney, and fears that decriminalisation of
marijuana could spark a rise in people driving under the influence of
the drug.

Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said the Government's boost to
fighting drugs was too small and should have been directed to
Naltrexone programs and shorter waiting lists for detoxification and
rehabilitation services.

Mr Comrie said drugs would be the key topic discussed when Australian
police chiefs met in Darwin during May.