Pubdate: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 Source: Hobart Mercury (Australia) Page: 2 Contact: http://www.themercury.com.au/ Copyright: News Limited 1998 Author: David Carrigg FEAR MAINLAND DEALERS WILL TARGET TASSIE HEROIN is not common in Tasmania but it is only a matter of time before mainland-based dealers look south to sell their drug. An informed source said yesterday that heroin use was limited in Tasmania but young people were using a similar opiate drug, morphine, as well as tranquiliser-based benzodiazepines and stimulant amphetamines. He said the regular price for a hit, or cap, of heroin was $50 but in Sydney dealers were selling $25 "starter packs" to young users to increase their market. "Heroin is becoming more accessible financially and there is no doubt there is a market for it down here, but the mainland dealers haven't tapped into it yet," the source said. "Once Tasmanian kids get to the big city they can get carried away with the easy access to stronger drugs and get into trouble." A doctor, with the State Government's Hobart-based Drug and Alcohol Detoxification Unit, said about 20% of people through the centre were suffering opiate addiction. The doctor, who did not want to named, said users were getting mostly morphine from a variety of sources, including cancer patients who sold parts of their unlimited supply to help pay bills. "There is an increase in the use of opiates in Hobart," he said. "We help people who are fighting withdrawal syndrome and over the past few month's we've had teenagers as young as 15 who are opiate dependent and have been using for a few years." Last week the head of Victoria's Youth Substance Abuse Service said the state's heroin crisis was growing as the street price had fallen. In Melbourne heroin kills 170 people a year. - --- Checked-by: Rich O'Grady