Pubdate: Sun, 27 Feb 2000
Source: Sun Herald (Australia)
Copyright: 2000 John Fairfax Holdings Ltd
Contact:  http://www.sunherald.com.au/
Author: Daniel Dasey

ZERO TOLERANCE CRUSADER MARCHES ON

THE Salvation Army officer who has spearheaded the zero tolerance approach
to the drug problem is set to retire from active service.

Major Brian Watters, one of the most outspoken critics of liberalised drug
laws, will step down as head of the Salvation Army's Rehabilitation
Services Command in April.

Now approaching his 65th birthday -- mandatory retirement age for Salvation
Army officers -- the major is best known for campaigns against legalised
shooting galleries, heroin trials and syringe bins on planes.

In 1998 he was hand-picked by Prime Minister John Howard to head the
National Council on Drugs, a post he will retain until at least 2001.

While his insistence that drug use should not be normalised has seen him
criticised -- including from within the Salvation Army 97 Major Watters sa
id
last week he remained convinced the approach was effective in cutting the
number of drug deaths.

"We can't put cotton wool or foam rubber walls around people to protect
them from themselves," he said. "We have got to help them to help
 themselves."

Born in Perth in 1935, as a child Major Watters was entranced by the
Salvation Army band that used to rehearse outside his home.

At the age of 14 he joined the organisation, in part to seek solace from
the pain of growing up with an alcoholic father.

"I believe that God and the city council worked together to put the street
light outside our house where they used to meet,"he said.

After building a business career and starting a family, he and wife
Margaret decided to become full-time Salvation Army officers in the early
1970s.

He said his subsequent experience helping addicts return to normal lives
had taught him that increasing the availability of drugs was not an
effective solution.

"Nobody ever got their life together from being given drugs," he said. "You
have to help them break the habit."

In 1999 his outspoken opposition to heroin trials saw him criticised by
more liberal Salvos in Victoria who believed the organisation should remain
neutral on the issue.

While he relinquishes his permanent role with the Salvation Army, Major
Watters said he planned to continue wearing his uniform and participating
in the drug debate.

He said he believed that, despite criticism, drug users and the general
community respected his work as a Salvation Army officer.

"I feel that 1 can walk with my head high into any pub ia Australia or into
any area where people are using drugs and there's no-one who would accuse
me of being unkind or unfair or intolerant," he said.

"They know that we care."
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