Pubdate: Fri, 19 Mar 1999
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Copyright: 1999 David Syme & Co Ltd
Contact:  http://www.theage.com.au/
Author: Nicole Brady and Meaghan Shaw

PM PLEDGES HELP FOR USERS, WAR ON PUSHERS

Allocating an extra $20 million for drug rehabilitation programs
yesterday, the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, warned that the
Government did not have all the answers to the drug problem.

Mr Howard also has refined his ``zero tolerance'' message on
drugs.

He said he had compassion for drug users and their families but
contempt for traffickers.

``I don't think there's anybody in the Australian community who has
anything other than maximum contempt and zero tolerance for those who
seek to make money out of human misery and human suffering,'' he said.

Reinforcing his commitment to the Government's three-pronged approach
of using law enforcement, education and treatment against the drug
scourge, Mr Howard said he would seek support for a national campaign
at next month's Premiers' Conference.

The Victorian Premier, Mr Jeff Kennett, welcomed the extra funding and
said he believed a national approach on drugs was achievable. ``There
is light on the hill,'' he said.

But the Opposition Leader, Mr Kim Beazley, said the money was
inadequate.

Speaking at Anglicare in Melbourne, Mr Howard also signalled he would
ask state leaders to put aside their differences over a heroin trial
and ``focus on those areas where we have common ground''.

The $20million in new treatment funding announced yesterday is part of
the Federal Government's $290million Tough on Drugs strategy. More
than $150million will be spent on law enforcement, $40million has been
devoted to education and $64million has been dedicated to treatment,
with other funds available for research.

``Tough on Drugs is about trying to help the people who are addicted
to drugs, understanding in a compassionate way the emotional
devastation that that brings to their families,'' Mr Howard said.

The new funding was allocated, on the advice of the Australian
National Council on Drugs headed by Major Brian Watters, to 51
agencies across Australia for treatments ranging from early
intervention to residential rehabilitation.

Victoria received $2.7million, with recipients including the Salvation
Army, Jesuit Social Services, the Australian Vietnamese Women's
Welfare Association and Turning Point.

Mr Kennett said recent discussion had raised the profile of the drugs
issue and had changed Australians' perceptions of drug-takers. ``There
is light on the hill and I think that is really the summation of what
has happened over the last six weeks,'' he said.

The new funding was applauded by the drug treatment sector, but Mr
Beazley said the money was inadequate. ``I would have thought that
there would have been much more in this statement, in particular, on
harm minimisation and helping people detox,'' he said.

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