WARNING OF RISE IN HEROIN OVERDOSES

There has been a big increase in the rate of heroin overdoses in the ACT
over the past three months, according to police and the ambulance service.

The most recent heroin-related death was the overdose of a man in a public
toilet in Civic on Wednesday.

Police and the ACT Ambulance Service have reiterated their warning that
cheap heroin of very high purity is flooding the Canberra market.

They said 253 people had overdosed over the past three months, 126 on
heroin. Eight of the 126 had died. In the past financial year 829 had
overdosed, 208 on heroin, with 14 of the 208 dying.

A spokesman for the ACT Justice and Community Safety Minister, Gary
Humphries, said the Government was concerned at these figures.

"It strengthens the importance of developing harm-minimisation strategies
to prevent these tragic circumstances occurring," the spokesman said.

Other details issued yesterday showed an increase in the frequency of
suppliers giving dealers drugs for personal use as payment for selling
drugs.

Further data suggested a large proportion of users were involved in
property and violent crimes to support their habit.

Illicit drug-users were also starting younger. Police suggested it was
only a matter of time before a very young person died of an overdose.

Checked-by: Joel W. Johnson