Pubdate: Mon, 10 May 1999 Source: Illawarra Mercury (Australia) Copyright: Illawarra Newspapers Contact: http://mercury.illnews.com.au/ Author: Geoff Failes SET UP SAFE INJECTING ROOM IN CITY, SAYS MP A safe injecting room should be set up in Wollongong because of high heroin use by addicts, recently elected NSW Upper House Greens member Lee Rhiannon said yesterday ``Drugs need to be seen as a social and health issue - not as a criminal issue,'' Ms Rhiannon said. ``We're quite sure that sooner or later this will be taken up but considering here it's a matter of life or death, the sooner it is taken up more lives will be saved.'' Ms Rhiannon was in Wollongong on the weekend to attend a post-election summit and thank supporters for their role in the recent election campaign. ``When Parliament resumes next week, the Greens will be releasing our plan for reducing crime and drug use through social policy solutions, rather than law-and-order hysteria,'' she said. ``By making criminals of young people who use drugs, the Government is simply guaranteeing the future profits of participants in the drug trade. ``Meanwhile, more of those young people will die from overdoses which could easily be prevented.'' Ms Rhiannon said the Greens did not encourage the use of any drug but there was ample evidence that safe injecting rooms saved lives. ``We support the courageous action of the Wayside Chapel in opening a facility in Kings Cross ... such a facility in Wollongong would have similar results,'' she said. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea