FEAR MAINLAND DEALERS WILL TARGET TASSIE

HEROIN is not common in Tasmania but it is only a matter of time
before mainland-based dealers look south to sell their drug.

An informed source said yesterday that heroin use was limited in
Tasmania but young people were using a similar opiate drug, morphine,
as well as tranquiliser-based benzodiazepines and stimulant
amphetamines. He said the regular price for a hit, or cap, of heroin
was $50 but in Sydney dealers were selling $25 "starter packs" to
young users to increase their market.

"Heroin is becoming more accessible financially and there is no doubt
there is a market for it down here, but the mainland dealers haven't
tapped into it yet," the source said.

"Once Tasmanian kids get to the big city they can get carried away
with the easy access to stronger drugs and get into trouble."

A doctor, with the State Government's Hobart-based Drug and Alcohol
Detoxification Unit, said about 20% of people through the centre were
suffering opiate addiction.

The doctor, who did not want to named, said users were getting mostly
morphine from a variety of sources, including cancer patients who sold
parts of their unlimited supply to help pay bills.

"There is an increase in the use of opiates in Hobart," he
said.

"We help people who are fighting withdrawal syndrome and over the past
few month's we've had teenagers as young as 15 who are opiate
dependent and have been using for a few years."

Last week the head of Victoria's Youth Substance Abuse Service said
the state's heroin crisis was growing as the street price had fallen.

In Melbourne heroin kills 170 people a year.

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady