DRUG EDICTS

Drugs, legal and illegal, are a booming industry. The risk of detection for
those dealing in illegal drugs is very low. The heroin market is expanding
and younger people are using. A record 225 Victorians have died from heroin
overdoses this year - a five-fold increase on the 1993 toll.

Not even the massive seizure in October has made a difference; our streets
are still awash with cheap heroin.

Property crime is the main method of getting funds and the resulting cost
to the police and our justice system, not to mention the cost to each and
every one of us, is escalating.

The response from government is more of the same. The Prhne Minister talks
of "getting tough on drugs". Egged on by Major John (sic) Watters of the
Salvation Army, he refuses to countenance alternate strategies. More of the
same means more crime and more deaths.

It is well past the time for trialing alternative strategies such as in
Switzerland, Holland and now Germany.

John Howard is not responsible for people using drugs inappropriately. He
is responsible for failing to respond to change.

PETER CLEELAND
vice-president
Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation
Epping

Checked-by: Richard Lake