Pubdate: Mon, 26 Jun 2000
Source: Illawarra Mercury (Australia)
Copyright: 2000 Illawarra Newspapers
Contact:  http://mercury.illnews.com.au/
Author: Fred Nile

LEGAL AND ILLEGAL DRUGS UNDER ATTACK

THE ignorance of some academics is staggering, particularly Dr Michael
Dawson from the University of Technology (Sydney Morning Herald, June
19), when he accuses me of hypocrisy for ignoring the harmfulness of
the legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco.

Ask any NSW MP which MP consistently attacks the harmfulness of
alcohol and tobacco? Ask which MP introduced the first Alcohol
Advertising Prohibition Bill? Ask which MP successfully introduced the
Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Bill and the Tobacco Regulation Bill
to prevent the harmfulness from passive smoking?

Only one person - the Rev Fred Nile, MLC! I am one of the few MPs who
is consistent in my attacks on the harmfulness of both legal and
illegal drugs!

It is personally insulting for Dr Dawson to accuse me of being
frightened of making powerful enemies. That has never and will never
be a factor in my campaigns.

Again, Dr Dawson could not be bothered to check his facts or he would
have checked the message of such summit speakers as Dr John
Tocumbourou of the Melbourne Centre for Adolescent Health, who spent a
major portion of his address on the teenagers' harmful use of alcohol
and tobacco.

Finally, the summit resolved that: ``We recommend that the marketing
for alcohol and tobacco products be further restricted.''

REV FRED NILE, MLC
NSW Parliament House, Sydney.
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