Pubdate: Tue, 05 Jan 1999 Date: 01/05/1999 Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) Author: Ann Symonds If the failure to provide clean needles and syringes did not stop people injecting heroin (see US experience), how will the removal of clean, large-bore needles stop people injecting methadone? When will we get around to public health policy based on evidence to protect the community from diseases and death caused by illicit drug use? I beg the NSW Health Department to pursue programs of prevention, not prohibition. Ann Symnonds, Bronte