Pubdate: Tue, 18 May 1999 Source: Canberra Times (Australia) Contact: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/ Author: Geoff Page Note: Similar coverage of original by Sydney Morning Herald HOW LONG BEFORE THEY SEE THE LIGHT ON DRUGS? I read with sadness your report of Premier Bob Carr's refusal to invite his Director of Public Prosecutions, Nick Cowdery, to his forthcoming "Drug Summit" (CT, May 11, p.3). Like Prime Minister Howard, who invited Major Brian Watters to chair his "Tough on Drugs" taskforce, Premier Carr has also ensured that he will hear only what he wants to hear and nothing more radical. When nearly half of the country's directors of public prosecution are now calling explicitly for a range of harm-minimisation strategies and rejecting the zero-tolerance approach as being legally counterproductive one has to wonder just how long it will be before our political leaders (of various shades) begin to see the (albeit ill-advised) use of currently illicit substances by voting adults as a medical and educational problem rather than a criminal one. GEOFF PAGE Narrabundah - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D