HOWARD LIFTS PROFILE WITH DRUGS OFFENSIVE

JOHN Howard is preparing to launch his own drug offensive, promoting in a
speech his support for increased drug rehabilitation measures and his
steadfast opposition to a heroin trial.

With a wave of recent deaths from heroin overdoses prompting community
alarm, the Prime Minister wants to offset criticism of his refusal to
countenance a heroin trial with a series of positive measures for public
education on drugs and rehabilitation services for addicts.

Mr Howard plans to discuss his initiatives on drugs, and also
anti-terrorism and Olympics security, with the director of the American
FBI, Louis Freeh, when he visits Australia next week.

Mr Howard has decided to adopt a higher profile on the drugs issue to
combat what he believes are strident but mostly glib assertions that a
heroin trial is the only method to tackle increasing use and rising deaths
from the drug.

Despite the demands of several public figures, including Victorian Premier
Jeff Kennett, to try new measures such as the trial, Mr Howard is convinced
that popular opinion is on his side in opposing the notion that the free
supply of illegal drugs is the only way to combat the crime that results
from addiction.

"I think I speak for millions of Australian parents who do not see the
right signal being sent through the introduction of a heroin trial," he
told reporters during his weekend trip to New Zealand.

His views have been reinforced by research he has commissioned from
Australian embassies, mainly in Europe, about the viability of heroin
trials in places like Sweden, Switzerland and Britain.

"Heroin trials in other countries have not been successful," Mr Howard
said."I invite those who are so enthusiastically advocating heroin trials
to have a look at the Swedish experience, at Merseyside in the United
Kingdom and the limited Swiss experience."