Pubdate: Thu, 01 Jun 2000
Source: Australian, The (Australia)
Copyright: News Limited 2000
Contact:  http://www.theaustralian.com.au/
Author: Martin Chulov

INJECTING ROOMS NO LIFE SAVER: AFP CHIEF

THE nation's top police officer has attacked plans by three governments to 
open heroin injecting rooms, warning they will send mixed messages to 
police and fail to save the lives predicted.Australian Federal Police 
Commissioner Mick Palmer warned yesterday that the implications of 
injecting rooms, due to open within months in Victoria, NSW and the ACT, 
had not been fully analysed - and could lead to unforeseen liabilities for 
governments.

He said heroin use was being presented as just another drug option for 
Australian youths and too much prominence had been given to injecting rooms 
as a solution.

"This issue is being seen as a cure-all and I don't think it can cure much 
at all," Mr Palmer, the deputy chairman of the Australian National Council 
on Drugs told The Australian. "I'm not convinced that it is likely to save 
many lives."

Governments would have difficulty walking away from injecting rooms once 
established and could not guarantee the quality of heroin being used on 
premises, he said.

"If a heroin injection room process fails . . . it would be very hard to 
disband," he said. "(The heroin is) unknown purity . . . I can't see how we

can safeguard against people using tainted heroin in a 
government-authorised injection room from suffering serious injury or death."

Clear legislative guidance should be urgently given to police officers 
working near injecting rooms to avoid legal liability at the point of 
arrest, he said.

"At the same time, we are saying to young police officers, we want you to 
intervene . . . with a view to giving these people some reason to consider 
rehabilitation. We are also saying if these people are on their way to an 
injection room we want you to stand back and hands off," he said.

"They are almost damned if they do and damned if they don't."

Mr Palmer also doubted users could benefit from the opening of a small 
number of injecting rooms because federal police assessments had shown 
addicts were reluctant to travel for a fix.

He said he was not a "hang them high" commissioner but did not believe "we 
have put in anywhere near enough effort into attempting to minimise the 
entry into the use of illicit drugs".

Laws to establish five injecting rooms were introduced into the Victorian 
Parliament this week, with the Wesley Central Mission showcasing facilities 
yesterday.

Victorian Police Chief Commissioner Neil Comrie said he wanted police to 
have open access to the facilities to monitor any drug dealing.
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