WELL DONE 'CASSIE'

Former heroin addict and prostitute 'Cassie' claims morphine drug
abuse in epidemic proportions in Darwin. Whilst some politicians and
go gooders appear to be joined together with an umbilical cord of
intransigent stupidity, 'Cassie' clearly targets boredom, ignorance
and alienation as the reason some NT kids use drugs.

The courage of 'Cassie' speaking out is a welcome change to the
epidemic of gutlessness towards drug abuse in the NT.

Denial by the NT Government of a growing problem and quotes there are
only 342 known intravenous drug users leaves questions to be asked:

* If all NT doctors stop prescribing morphine, will the addicts be
forced to go 'full heroin' at $500 to $800 per day?

* At only the alleged 300 odd IV addicts in the NT, this is a quarter
of a million dollars squeezed out of the NT addicts in direct cost
every day.

* 'Cassie' was able to pay for her drugs by prostitution, but other
less physically attractive drug users will be reliant on theft for
their drug money.

* It's not only drug users who will die because of increased drug use,
it is only a matter of time before a shop or service station attendant
is killed in a drug-related armed robbery.

* Recent expeditions by criminal gang members from Cabrammatta NSW
have been taken care of very well by NT police and most leave the NT
after getting out of jail, but if the IV drug scene grows they will be
back.

The we will pay a terrible social cost.

* It's time some people stopped being three stupid monkeys who see
nothing, hear nothing and do nothing.