Pubdate: Wed, 28 Jul 1999 Source: Illawarra Mercury (Australia) Copyright: Illawarra Newspapers Contact: http://mercury.illnews.com.au/ ACT INJECTING ROOM PIPS NSW The ACT Is Likely To Beat The NSW Timetable And Have A Safe Heroin Injecting Room By The End Of The Year The ACT Government will also again attempt to initiate a heroin trial after being torpedoed by the Federal Government two years ago. ACT Health Minister Michael Moore said he was delighted with NSW Premier Bob Carr's announcement of a legalised shooting galleries to be partially operated by Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital. Mr Moore said the ACT Government would launch its drug strategy in the next couple of months, covering health, education and policing as well as a safe injecting room. "We see it as a gateway to users. It's about reaching out, bringing them into counselling," he said. "The real crunch is that a safe injecting room will help save lives and help stop the spread of disease. "The importance of a strategy that covers the broad spectrum cannot be over-emphasised." Mr Moore said the ACT was prepared to include a heroin trial in its drug strategy. "Perhaps even more radical is the willingness of the ACT to trial the provision of pharmaceutical heroin to users," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Thunder