Pubdate: Thu, 8 Apr 1999 Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) Contact: http://www.smh.com.au/ Author: David Humphries, Mark Metherell, and David Reardon CARR TO URGE NATIONAL TRIAL OF DRUG COURTS The Premier, Mr Carr, will take a seven-point plan to tomorrow's premiers' conference on drugs, urging the other States to take up a NSW trial on drug courts and backing Federal Government plans to divert young drug offenders from the criminal justice system. He said the Howard Government must fund a national drug treatment and research program, including the fast-tracking of controversial treatments such as naltrexone and buprenorphine, which will be the subject of a 500-person trial at Westmead Hospital. The Prime Minister is expected to put to the premiers a new Federal plan costing more than $100 million focusing on treatment of addicts and support for the diversion of illicit drug users away from the courts to treatment and rehabilitation centres. He also said the Government was examining speeding approval for Pharmaceutical Benefits listing of the heroin withdrawal drug naltrexone. Mr Howard will also propose national protocols for dealing with drug users in schools and an information campaign for the parents of children with drug problems. Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory are also expected tomorrow to press for the Australian Defence Force to be given a stronger role in coastal surveillance to counter narcotics trafficking - a move advocated by the Opposition Leader, Mr Beazley. The Queensland Premier, Mr Beattie, and the West Australian Premier, Mr Court, argue for the upgrading of military installations in remote areas such as the RAAF's Shergar base near Weipa and the Learmonth base near Exmouth to increase surveillance of traffickers. Mr Carr has also called for stronger air and sea surveillance to accompany strengthening of Interpol and other international law enforcement agencies. But he said the "strongest weapon against drugs is prevention", and urged the expansion of such programs as NSW's $49 million Families First trial, where services are targeted at shoring up vulnerable households. Mr Carr said a national training program was needed to ensure health and welfare progressionals had expertise in assisting drug-dependent patients and their families. He will also tell the premiers that a national case management program is needed to go beyond treatment for addiction and to provide family support, financial counselling and help with housing, education, training and jobs. Mr Carr wants the Federal Government to fund, equally with the States, drug courts in which non-violent drug offenders are directed to rehabilitation rather than jail. He also wanted a national youth diversion scheme in which States and Territories trialled other programs aimed at keeping offenders out of jail. The Victorian Premier, Mr Kennett, who is expected to push for more treatment and direction of small-time drug offenders away from the criminal system, will call for more research into the causes of drug dependency, including depression, which he described yesterday as one of the biggest causes of social problems. Mr Beattie also called for a national education campaign on drugs similar to the AIDS campaign of the 1980s. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D