HARM-MINIMISATION CORE OF DRUGS POLICY

The introduction of safe injecting rooms and alternative
detoxification methods, such as naltrexone, are two key aims
identified in a drug policy direction statement to be announced by the
Health Minister today.

Harm-minimisation strategies had been effective, and would continue as
the underlying principle in drugs policy, according to Minimising
Harms, Maximising Outcomes, an internally produced assesment of ACT
drugs policy from 1995-97, and a set of guidelines for future policy.

Other findings were: the availability of services for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islanders, people from different cultures and language
backgrounds, prisoners, women, mothers, young people and injecting
drug users "needed attention"; there was a lack of useful data in
relation to drug and alcohol use; and health promotion, early
intervention and prevention strategies needed to be better
coordinated.

MLA Michael Moore said he expected the guidelines to be debated before
March, when a draft report would be produced, before the final report
mid-year.

New policies would require additional funding, which would be found in
the health budget by "rearranging priorities in the next 12 months",
he said.

Greens MLA Kerry Tucker said she was concerned that the report had
taken more than a year to produce, but welcomed the commitment to
"enhancing community understanding of harm minimisation".

She was pleased to see the injecting-room proposal presented in a
broader policy context. Mr Moore withdrew his injecting-room proposal
last month in the face of shaky support from Assembly members, and
said Ms Tucker had "put the nail in the coffin".

He had been counting on support from Ms Tucker and Labor to get the
plan through the Assembly.

The chief executive officer at the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of
Australia, David Crosbie, said ACT policy makers were "fumbling in the
dark". There was no good basic data about how many users there were,
their ages, what services they used and how effective those services
were. The information was desperately needed so that scarce funds
could be spent where they were needed most.

The Commonwealth had doubled funding to deal with the drug problem,
and several states were following. It was time the ACT at least
doubled its drugs budget, which was $3.35 million, or less than $11
for every ACT resident, he said.