DOES MR STANHOPE HAVE A DRUG PLAN?

I WAS disappointed to read Jon Stanhope's description of Michael Moore as a
"drug reform zealot" who "used the heroin shooting gallery issue to distract
from the nurses' dispute" (CT, 11 August, p.3).

For the three days before Mr Stanhope's commentt this newspaper had stories
about

(1) ambulance officials warning of pure and cheap heroin being available in
the city, with overdose victims making up 10 per cent of emergency calls;

(2) a Commander John Dau, head of the Australian Federal Police Regional
Operations, saying that prohibition by itself was not working,

(3) ACT Justice and Community Safety Minister Gary Humphries saying that the
community was now suffering because the proposed ACT heroin trial had been
stopped and

(4) waiting times for methadone treatment being up to seven weeks.

In addition to the above, columnist Judy Prisk wrote about the ravages of
addiction, saying that she wants "you experts" to agree on some way to help
addicts stop committing crimes.

Finally, on 12 August, an editorial asked the Prime Minister to show
leadership and realise that the war on drugs can never be won while the
addict is the enemy.

I hope the Canberra Hospital troubles are resolved.

I ask Mr Stanhope what his plans are for the drug problems in Canberra.

PATRICIA VARGA Bolt

Checked-by: Rolf Ernst