PM calls for joint drugs strategy

By Ross Peake And Naomi Mapstone

Prime Minister John Howard called yesterday for a national effort to combat
drug abuse, as he prepared to unveil a federal antidrug strategy.

On Sunday he will outline a threepronged initiative to focus on law
enforcement, education and rehabilitation.

The strategy was drawn up by a task force on drugs, established in August
after Mr Howard had blocked the ACT Government's proposed heroin trial. Mr
Howard appointed the head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet,
Max MooreWilton, to run the task force.

The ACT Chief Minister, Kate Carnell, spoke yesterday also, expressing
concern that the debate had recently taken on 'a distinct lawenforcement
flavour'. She warned that it must be accepted that policing would never be
able to intercept all drug shipments into Australia nor even shipments
within Australia.

Governments had to stop dealing with the illicit drug problem primarily as
a criminal problem and start focusing on it as a health problem.

Mr Howard said his measures were only a first step in the war on drugs, and
he called on NSW Premier Bob Carr not to politicise the issue. He also
called on Opposition Leader Kim Beazley to ensure there was a bipartisan
approach in the federal Parliament.

'You ought to get behind a decent national initiative instead of trying to
score miserable political points on something that goes to the heart and
soul of the existence of many families in Australia,' he said.

In Parliament the Labor Party criticised Budget cuts to the Australian
Federal Police, Australian Customs and the National Crime Authority, and
said Australia was losing the fight against drugs. Mr Howard denied that
antidrug efforts suffered from Budget cuts.

The Prime Minister will call on Premiers and Chief Ministers at their
summit next Friday to work towards an effective national approach.

He said further action would follow consultation with parents, teachers and
health professionals. 'I don't pretend for a moment that the initiatives
that will be unveiled over the weeks ahead will rid this country of the
drug menace,' he said.

'But what I do argue is that it will represent a comprehensive and sincere
attempt to make serious inroads with respect to something that is regarded
justifiably . . . as one of the greatest social menaces that this country
has ever faced.'

Mr Carr's 10point plan, which focuses almost exclusively on recommending
increased resourcing for lawenforcement agencies, will be presented at the
Leader's Forum in Melbourne today.

It follows the Australian Federal Police Service's admission that it
detected only about 10 per cent of illicit drugs arriving in Australia.

Mrs Carnell will also table a paper at today's meeting a declaration from
the National Community Drug Action Conference, held in Canberra this week.

The conference, organised by The Damien Trimingham Foundation and Families
and Friends for Drug Law Reform (ACT), has called on Australian governments
to reject prohibition, introduce healthoriented reponses to drug issues
and introduce antidiscrimination legislation to protect drug users.

Mr Howard, a major force in the decision to quash the proposed ACT heroin
trial, has promised a threepronged illicitdrugs strategy focusing on law
enforcement, education and rehabilitation.

Mrs Carnell said Australian governments had to realise that putting focus
on law enforcement to the detriment of education and treatment options was
futile.

'The ACT's view is that every single available option should be trialled,
because the limited range of treatment options that are available at the
moment simply do not help a large proportion of drug users.'