WOULD-BE POLITICIANS IN INJECTING ROOMS PUSH

Tasmania's future politicians yesterday backed a Northern school's
proposal for safe injecting rooms for drug addicts.

The 13th annual YMCA Youth Parliament, which was officially opened
yesterday, voted in favour of a motion put forward by Launceston
Church Grammar School representatives to support State Government-run
safe injecting rooms.

In an emotion-charged debate, Launceston Church Grammar School student
Alex Frain, 15, urged the Youth Parliament to support safe injecting
rooms.

"We think the Government needs to take a more proactive stance on harm
minimisation for drug addicts in the State, and while they provide
money for drug programmes, they need to take the next step," Miss Frain said.

"We're not accepting the drugs, we're talking about accepting the
people."

Marist Regional College representative Mitchell King, 17, warned that
to approve the safe injecting rooms was to make exemptions for people
in the legal system.

"Rules are not made to be broken. Money could be better spent
eradicating the drug problem by increasing police numbers," he said.

Hellyer College student Chris French told the Youth Parliament that
banning illicit substances was not the answer to tackling Tasmania's
drug problem.

"We need to help these people, not alienate them from society," he
said.