'SOFT' HEROIN TALK FAILS

Talk about "safe" heroin practices are probably giving the wrong
message to teenagers tempted to experiment, argues PAUL GRAY

HEROIN - it's getting worse. This week, we've learned that a record
225 Victorians have died from heroin overdoses so far this year.

Thats an increase from 169 deaths in 1996. This week, we've also
learned there are 2000 non-fatal heroin overdoses attended by
ambulances in Melbourne each year.

As these figures show, something is making heroin spread rapidly in
our community. In just a few short years, the heroin culture has
swollen from being a social fringe issue, to become a major threat.

The question is, what is that something? One obvious theory is that
it's the cheapness of heroin.

At many places across the state, heroin is selling for as little as
$20 a cap.

But price is not the only possible explanation. Another worrying
possibility is that the community is encouraging experimentation with
heroin by young people, by promoting a "soft" public education image
for the drug.

Warwick Murphy, a long-time counsellor to addicts in Melbourne, is one
who believes we are allowing a dangerous message to be sent to teenagers.

Mr Murphy's group, Drug-Arm, runs street vans in Dandenong and
Footscray, and promotes a drug-free lifestyle. He says that in the
past six months, there has been a noticeable increase in young people
using heroin as a first-time drug.

"What we're seeing is young people coming straight to heroin. They're
not coming to it through other drugs, such as marijuana, the way they
did in the past."

Warwick Murphy fears that "harm minimisation" education, which
includes the message that heroin is not such a dangerous drug when
used correctly, is contributing to a more relaxed attitude towards
heroin among young people.

It's a frightening prospect. Well-intentioned drug educators may in
fact be inadvertently putting young people's lives at risk, and
perhaps even contributing to some deaths, by pushing a "safe heroin"
line.

This is not just an issue of what is taught in school drug-education
programs. Just as important is the subtle message young people hear
from community debates on heroin.

Recent debate has been dominated by talk of introducing "safe heroin"
practices, such as needle exchange programs and safe injecting rooms,
and of experimenting with making heroin legal.

The impression given, and smart youngsters tempted to experiment with
drugs could not fail to miss this, is that if adults themselves can't
be sure heroin is always dangerous, what's wrong with giving it a try?

So long as we continue to talk of the possibility or "safe heroin"
solutions, instead of making it clear that recreational heroin use is
inherently dangerous, it's hard to argue with these kids.

One who strongly disagrees with the "safe heroin" approach is James L.
Curtis, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, and director
of Harlem Hospital Centre's Department of Psychiatry in New York.

Professor Curtis says that needle exchange programs "merely facilitate
continuing drug abuse". He compares them to giving an alcoholic a
clean glass to prevent meningitis.

PROF. Curtis says that in New York, needle exchange programs "aid,
abet and encourage addiction".

They are not tackling the real, human problem behind drug abuse, he
says. "Drug addicts suffer from a serious disease requiring a
comprehensive treatment intervention, sometimes under compulsion, as a
protection from themselves and others."

This is the nub of the problem. Drug use, particularly heroin
injection, must be seen as a dangerous activity to be avoided and
discouraged by the community.

By continually talking about legalising heroin, establishing legal

shooting galleries and experimenting with free needle exchanges we may
in fact be encouraging heroin experimentation.

This is experimentation that often leads to death.

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady