HOWARD REFUSES HEROIN TRIAL PLEA

ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope will forge ahead with his campaign for a
heroin trial despite Prime Minister John Howard's flat refusal yesterday to
consider the option.

Mr Stanhope said the Prime Minister's attitude was disappointing but he was
buoyed by support for a heroin prescription trial from the Victorian and
Western Australian Governments.

He vowed to continue his campaign to gather support from other Labor
premiers, hoping a united front would change Mr Howard's mind.

Mr Howard said a prescription heroin trial would send the wrong message to
the community and undermine treatment efforts.

"The Federal Government remains opposed to prescription heroin trials and
injecting rooms," Mr Howard said in a statement.

"The Government's focus will remain on ensuring a wide range of treatment
and rehabilitation options aimed at helping illicit-drug users to kick the
habit, rather than options that involve maintaining heroin use."

Mr Stanhope said a heroin trial was a "potentially life-saving" option for
users and could be the only way to undermine the heroin black market.

National Crime Authority head Gary Crooke, NSW Director of Public
Prosecutions Nicholas Cowdery, QC, and Australian Medical Association
president Dr Kerryn Phelps had publicly supported a medically supervised
heroin prescription trial.

Yesterday, Mr Stanhope sent letters to Mr Howard and all state premiers and
health ministers proposing a jointly funded national heroin trial involving
the ACT.

South Australia's newly elected Premier, Mike Rann, Northern Territory
Chief Minister Clare Martin and Queensland Premier Peter Beattie opposed a
heroin trial.

Tasmanian Premier Jim Bacon was unavailable but Attorney-General Dr Peter
Patmore told Parliament in October that the Government would not oppose
trials in other states.

But he said, "There are not going to be any trials in Tasmania."

Victorian Premier Steve Bracks supported a trial but his Government's
efforts to make heroin available on prescription were thwarted by the state
Opposition.

Western Australian Health Minister Bob Kucera said the WA Government
supported a heroin trial but realised it could only proceed with the
Federal Government's backing.

NSW Premier Bob Carr had approved a safe injecting room but ruled out a
heroin prescription trial.

ACT Opposition Leader Gary Humphries said NSW support was crucial to avoid
the "honeypot effect", when drug users crossed the border to get heroin on
prescription.

Mr Humphries said the ACT Government should hold a referendum on the issue
which, if successful, would bolster its bargaining position.

Opposition health spokesman Brendan Smyth welcomed Mr Stanhope's move but
believed his time would be better spent lobbying other state and territory
leaders.

"It is common knowledge that the Prime Minister is opposed to a heroin
trial and Mr Stanhope's resolve to write to him, while commendable, appears
to be nothing more than a delay tactic," he said.