Pubdate: Sat, 03 Jul 1999 Source: Illawarra Mercury (Australia) Copyright: Illawarra Newspapers Contact: http://mercury.illnews.com.au/ Note: Appeared in Weekender insert CONCEPT OF TRIAL NEEDS CLOSER LOOK `Do we want kids injecting in side alleys or do we want something more civilised?' KEIRA MP David Campbell: I am in support of the concept of a trial of shooting galleries - if we are able to give addicts a location which is supportive and where counsellors and rehabilitation workers may be able to engage them in conversation and give them options for rehabilitation. If an addict is injecting in a safer, cleaner environment - rather than in a back alley or public toilets - then the entire community's health is better protected. It also guards the needle properly so they are not discarded in the street or an entrance foyer or all sorts of locations that needles are found which cause stress and danger to the community. If there is a place which might make a difference then we must look at these issues. These places should be operated by a non-government organisation and there needs to be a strong policy of chasing dealers from the vicinity so they don't target these places. I also strongly agree with the argument that we should be trying to stop the availability of illicit drugs, and we should continue to proceed towards that goal. In the interim, however, we need to look after community health issues and try and get existing addicts into rehabilitation. I support the principle of trials but would be interested to see exactly how they would be established and operated - parameters the government is currently trying to work out. WOLLONGONG MP Colin Markham: I spent five days at the drug summit and learnt more in those five days than I would ever have imagined. There were questions like: "Do we want shooting galleries or dying alleys?" which makes you think, do we want kids injecting in side alleys or do we want something more civilised? Another strong argument was that if heroin addicts stay alive, they will eventually kick the habit, even if it takes 10-15 years. But after that there is every chance that person will recommit to society in a useful manner. There were a lot of very interesting arguments along these lines and the proposed injecting rooms were just one of the recommendations. However, even if the Government decided to go ahead with these medically controlled heroin injecting rooms, which would be supervised by a qualified person, the only way a facility would be set up would be after full community consultation. A non-government organisation would have to make an approach to government and ask to set up such a room before it would even be considered. Then the idea would have to be canvassed throughout the community to gauge reactions. Without that, it just wouldn't happen. KIAMA MP Matt Brown: I believe it's up to the community whether they see a shooting gallery as right for their area or not; if they don't want it, I don't think they should have to have it. The reason I feel this way is that if there is no community support for a shooting gallery as a form of harm minimisation, then it's not going to work, anyway. I have received no-one expressing the desire to have a shooting gallery within the Illawarra and I don't think that's surprising. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D