Pubdate: Wed, 3 Feb 1999 Source: Illawarra Mercury (Australia) Page: 6 Copyright: Illawarra Newspapers Contact: http://mercury.illnews.com.au/ PM URGED TO LEAD WAR ON DRUGS NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Nick Cowdery has called on the Prime Minister to lead the way in drug reform policies. Prime Minister John Howard must take the lead on drug reform as state politicians were ducking for cover on the issue, NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Nick Cowdery said yesterday. Mr Cowdery said NSW Health Minister Andrew Refshauge's decision to suspend an inner-city needle exchange because a newspaper published photos of a teenager shooting up was dangerous and inappropriate. He said Mr Howard should introduce measures to reduce the death, disease and crime associated with illicit drug use, including safe injecting rooms, a heroin trial, decriminalisation of marijuana and the continuation of the needle-exchange program. "The Prime Minister and his Government have an obligation to the entire country to do what they can to implement policies and to put in place public administration that is going to benefit the entire community as a whole," Mr Cowdery said. "Present policies don't do that, and leadership should really come from the top." Mr Cowdery accused state politicians of ducking for cover on the controversial issue of drug reform "because it's too hard". "They deal with it by categorising it as a criminal-justice issue, and making harsh statements about how they would propose to deal with the unpleasantness of it all," Mr Cowdery said. "Unfortunately, that doesn't have any effect on reducing or eliminating the real problems." Mr Howard should rethink his opposition to a heroin trial, he said. "I think Mr Howard should listen to his health minister very closely and take his advice on a matter of this kind which is a health issue," Mr Cowdery said. Last year, Mr Howard overturned a decision by federal Health Minister Michael Wooldridge to back a heroin trial in the ACT. Mr Cowdery said a heroin trial should be set up "without delay". It could be based in Sydney, although there might be an advantage in running it in a smaller centre such as Newcastle, Wollongong or Lismore. He said suggestions under 18s should have to undergo counselling before being given clean needles was "slightly unrealistic in the present environment". Safe injecting rooms were a better way to expose young people to counselling and would also enhance the environment in high-drug-use areas. "Ask the residents of Caroline St in Redfern would they prefer to put up with what has apparently been happening there now for some time, which is admittedly very unpleasant, or would they prefer that these activities take place in a regulated, safe, secure and clean way indoors, even if in the same street?" Mr Cowdery said. He said the rooms could be placed in non-residential areas such as industrial estates, as long as they were accessible. - --- MAP posted-by: Patrick Henry