Pubdate: Mon, 22 Mar 1999
Source: Australian, The (Australia)
Copyright: News Limited 1999
Contact:  http://www.theaustralian.com.au/
Author: David Tanner and Trudy Harris

UNIVERSITY'S DIY DRUG HANDBOOK SPARKS OUTRAGE

BOTH sides of politics, federal and State, combined yesterday to
condemn a university handbook that contains step-by-step instructions
and photographs of how to inject intravenous drugs.

NSW Labor Premier Bob Carr and federal Liberal Education Minister
David Kemp attacked the University of Technology, Sydney handbook -
given to 5000 students during the orientation week.

Dr Kemp condemned the use of compulsory student-paid funds to produce
the handbook as frivolous, inappropriate and irresponsible.

"The Federal Government is firmly opposed to the use of illicit drugs
and condemns the publication of this type of material in an
orientation handbook," he said.

Mr Carr described it as appalling.

"Let's reinforce the message again that mucking around with heroin is
a way of killing yourself," Mr Carr said.

"It shows no respect for the community, no respect for your own body,
that you inject this addictive poison into your veins. It is the very
antithesis of the message we want the whole community to understand
and communicate . . . heroin has no place in a healthy life."

This year's edition of the UTS orientation handbook, produced by the
Student Association, tells students how to mix drugs and how to find a
vein, apply a tourniquet and clean the wound.

However, the booklet has received support from drugs bodies including
the Australian Drug Foundation and the Australian Drug Law Reform
Foundation, which said it would not encourage drug use and had been
produced responsibly.

"We wouldn't have a problem with it," ADF spokeswoman Rosemary McClean
said yesterday. "It is researched, they quote reliable information
sources, it is grounded in harm minimisation and very much oriented
towards safety."

Neither UTS vice-chancellor Tony Blake nor Student Association
president Gabriela Zannoni were available for comment yesterday. Ms
Zannoni said on Saturday that the drug guide was included in the
handbook to try to minimise the harm caused by taking drugs and to
help students avoid contracting HIV and hepatitis C.

The 12-page booklet also lists the phone numbers of needle exchange
centres and describes different methods of ingesting drugs. It
discusses police powers and a variety of drugs, including heroin,
cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, amphetamines and LSD.
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