CALLS FOR QUEENSLAND INJECTING ROOMS

THE Greens today called for heroin injecting rooms to be opened in
Queensland on the back of a successful trial in Sydney.

The call follows an independent review of Australia's only
medically-assisted heroin injection room at Kings Cross in Sydney which
opened 18 months ago.

The review credited the centre with saving lives, and found more than 550
drug overdoses had been treated without a single fatality.

It further recorded no increase in drug-related crime or drug dealing in
the Kings Cross area.

Queensland Greens convenor Drew Hutton said the NSW and ACT governments
were considering extending the trial and urged Queensland to do likewise.

"Such a centre in Brisbane would undoubtedly save the lives of many
Queensland intravenous drug users who were at risk from unsupervised
injections," Mr Hutton said.

He said the report would "debunk the hysteria of the
zero-tolerance-on-drugs cheer squad led by Prime Minister John Howard and
the Salvation Army drug rehabilitation services commander Major Brian Watters".

The injection rooms have been strongly opposed by Mr Howard as well as
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie.