Pubdate: Fri, 21 Apr 2000
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2000 David Syme & Co Ltd
Contact:  250 Spencer Street, Melbourne, 3000, Australia
Website: http://www.theage.com.au/
Author: Darren Gray, Canberra

FEDERAL INQUIRY TO FOCUS ON DRUGS

Melbourne's controversial heroin injecting rooms, the community impact of 
drug diversion programs and cocaine, heroin, alcohol and tobacco use will 
be examined by a federal parliamentary inquiry.

The inquiry will focus on how drug abuse affects crime, violence and law 
enforcement, family relationships, road trauma, the workplace and health 
care costs. It will be conducted by the House of Representatives Family and 
Community Affairs Committee.

The "Drug abuse in Australian communities" investigation will be the first 
broad-ranging inquiry into drug abuse by a Federal Parliamentary committee 
for 20 years. It will hold public hearings around the country and report to 
Parliament in about 12 months time.

Committee chairman, South Australian Liberal MP Barry Wakelin, said the 
social and economic cost of drug abuse had soared in recent years and a 
parliamentary inquiry was long overdue.

In recent months it is believed the committee lobbied hard for the inquiry. 
Federal Health Minister Dr Michael Wooldridge referred the inquiry last week.

Yesterday Mr Wakelin said he did not have a view on heroin injecting rooms. 
It was important that the committee include legal drugs, such as tobacco, 
alcohol and pharmaceuticals, in its investigation, he said.

"There's no doubt in my mind that the implications of legal drugs are 
significantly overlooked," he said.

Drug abuse took an enormous toll on the community, he said. "There is 
evidence that it costs the Australian community more than $18 billion 
annually," he said.

Committee member and prominent Liberal backbencher Dr Brendan Nelson said 
the inquiry would examine the availability of drug detoxification and 
rehabilitation programs for addicts.

Dr Nelson said he expected there would also be an examination of the 
relationship between smoking and the use of other drugs.

Everyday, 54 people died from the consequences of tobacco use, he said. "It 
should not be forgotten that our number one drug problem is tobacco," he said.

The inquiry has been advertised in major newspapers around the country and 
is seeking public submissions.

Dr Rob Moodie, chief executive of the State Government-funded health 
promotion agency VicHealth, welcomed the inquiry. In public health terms, a 
mere $60 million in tobacco control spending would slash smoking rates to 
about 18 or 20 per cent, he said.

"At the moment we have an over-promotion of legal drugs and tobacco 
companies getting away with murder. And yet with illegal drugs we can't do 
anything substantial because it's completely outside our control," he said.

The Law Council of Australia also expressed support for the inquiry.
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