Pubdate: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 Source: Illawarra Mercury (Australia) Contact: http://mercury.illnews.com.au/ Copyright: Illawarra Newspapers Page: 5 Author: Geoff Failes ILLAWARRA A HOTSPOT FOR HEROIN DEATHS Forty-three people have died of heroin overdoses in the Illawarra in the past four years, with most users travelling to Sydney for supplies. According to recent research, one in five NSW heroin deaths now occurs in country areas outside Sydney. National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) senior lecturer Dr Shane Darke said although Sydney remained the main disbibution centre for heroin, a new analysis of county drug facilities shattered the view that "heroin is a Sydney problem". Rural hotspots for heroin deaths, according to Dr Darke, included the Illawarra with 43, the North Coast with 28, the Hunter with 33, Lismore with eight and Byron Bay with five. He said the lllawan's high rate could be attributed to the ease with which users could catch a train to Cabramatta. NDARC information manager Paul Dillon said yesterday the typical victim of a heroin overdose was a male in his 30s with 10 to 15 years of drug usage. "We believe that there are a lot of users in Wollongong but don't believe it is a major supply area," he said. "Our hunch is that they find it cheaper and quicker to travel to Cabramatta." Mr Dillon said he had never heard of any major heroin supplies coming through the port of Port Kembla. The Illawarra Area Health Service says the issue is a national one. An IAHS spokesperson said drug. alcohol and HIV prevention staff believed Wollongong's proximity to Sydney made Sydney heroin more accessible than for other non-metropolitan regions. - --- MAP posted-by: derek rea