AMA BACKS HEROIN TRIAL FOR ADDICTS

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is backing a proposal by the New
South Wales Greens to trial a controlled availability of heroin for addicts.

The Greens want licensed clinics to make heroin available to addicts as part
of their plan to tackle the issue of drug use.

AMA national vice president Dr Trevor Mudge says prohibition has failed to
manage the problem and innovative solutions are needed.

"Difficulty though this is for society to look at it and see, those
solutions may involve limited trials of prescribing heroin for addicts," he
said.

"I think that as long as it is on a trial basis and we evaluate whether it
works we do need to get out of the current thinking about the heroin
problem."

However, the proposal has been criticised by the chairman of the Australian
National Council on Drugs, the Salvation Army's Major Brian Watters.

He says it would mean giving up policies that are working for ones in which
the outcomes are unknown.

"Why would we want to change now and make drugs available, that's mad," he
said.