Pubdate: Thu, 4 Mar 1999
Source: Canberra Times (Australia)
Contact:  http://www.canberratimes.com.au/
Author: Rod Olsen

WHY DOES PM PUSH THIS FAILED POLICY?

THE PRIME MINISTER has rejected the call for heroin regulation by the NSW
Director of Public Prosecutions. Mr Howard said that "Australians would
reject governments making money from dangerous drugs". How typically
hypocritical! His Government gets hundreds of millions in tax revenue from
pedlars of equally dangerous drugs nicotine and alcohol.

Except for his specially chosen community representatives and party
apparatchiks, everyone with experience of the tragedy of illicit drugs is
telling Mr Howard that the US model of zero tolerance has been an abject
failure.

There are 1.7 million people in US jails, many states use judicial murder as
a "deterrent" does anyone except Mr Howard believe the US has solved its
massive illicit drug problem?

The evidence is clear so why is Mr Howard pushing to repeat such a failure?

ROD OLSEN Flynn

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