HEROIN TRIALS NOT THE ANSWER

Support Still Too Low - Wooldridge

A legalised heroin trial was not the answer to Australia's drug problem and
neither was political pointscoring, federal Health Minister Michael
Wooldridge said yesterday.

Dr Wooldridge supported the plan 18 months ago for a trial in the ACT
involving 40 addicts to receive heroin under medical supervision. This was
quashed by Prime Minister John Howard.

This week Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett and Police Commissioner Neil
Comrie both indicated support for a trial, in the wake of at least 60
heroin deaths in that state since the beginning of the year.

But Dr Wooldridge is unimpressed and does not believe Australia's state and
territory leaders have changed their minds.

``If the Premier is very keen I guess it is up to him to have a go with his
state and territory colleagues,'' he said.

``With the exception of (ACT chief minister) Kate Carnell, every one of
them, including him, 18 months ago ran a mile.

``The notion of a heroin trial actually had extraordinarily little support
and I haven't actually seen an awful lot of change in that support.''

He said a trial was one very small part of an overall large attack against
heroin. He had not seen anything recently that would make him try to change
the Federal Government's view of it.

There was no simple or easy solution. Work needed to be done by customs and
police to stop drugs being smuggled into the country. States and health
bodies needed to improve drug treatment and education, he said.

Dr Wooldridge said politicians also had to stop trying to score points from
the issue.