Pubdate: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) Copyright: 2000 The Sydney Morning Herald Contact: GPO Box 3771, Sydney NSW 2001 Fax: +61-(0)2-9282 3492 Website: http://www.smh.com.au/ Forum: http://forums.fairfax.com.au/ Author: Claudine Martijn MORAL VALUES OR LIVES? What on earth is John Howard doing? Conservative views on drug use, in most instances grossly tainted by selected people's moral views, reflect the aim of eradicating drugs through zero tolerance. Could it be that Major Brian Watters's followers prefer to uphold a clean bill of moral health at the expense of deaths caused by heroin overdose? Mr Howard's revamp of the latest national drug campaign makes it all too clear that political brownie points with conservative voters are far more important to Howard than a drug campaign that may reduce the harm being caused by drug use. Usage will continue whether Howard dances to his own moral marching band or not. He should wake up to himself. Harm minimisation may just make it safer for people to do what they are going to do anyway. Zero tolerance is not going to stop drug use and it is not going to save lives. It may, however, ensure that the problem goes underground and that already escalating heroin overdoses will increase. It has not worked anywhere else; it won't work here. Claudine Martijn, St Peters. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens