SYDNEY, Australia (Associated Press) -- After more than a decade of relatively low rates of infection, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has begun spreading rapidly through Asia and the Pacific region, according to a report released Thursday. The rise, in some of the world's most populated countries, is mostly in high risk groups, such as intravenous drug users, sex workers and gay men, the report said. The study, conducted by the Monitoring the AIDS Pandemic Network and commissioned by the United Nations, was released ahead of the 6th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, which starts Friday in Melbourne. [continues 293 words]
CANBERRA, Australia -- Australia's top law enforcement agency said Wednesday it would support legal distribution of heroin to addicts as part of the battle to stem the nation's escalating drug problem. The government immediately rejected the National Crime Authority's proposed trial distribution of heroin to addicts by doctors, saying education and policing were the best ways to combat drug use and trafficking. In a report on drugs and organized crime, the agency said options such as a heroin distribution trial, which had been ruled out previously, should now be considered to help tackle the rising problem of drugs and organized crime in Australia. [continues 322 words]
