Fed: Howard refuses to help NSW with injecting rooms

AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2001
Fed: Howard refuses to help NSW with injecting rooms

CANBERRA, April 6 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard today flatly refused to amend the
law to allow the importation of heroin for the operators of Australia's first legal heroin
injecting rooms in Sydney.

The rooms are set to open within weeks in Sydney's red-light district after the Supreme
Court yesterday dismissed a challenge by local business groups.

Mr Howard said he could not stop the rooms from opening but vowed not to provide the
operators with any assistance.

"I don't agree with heroin injecting rooms or galleries but it's a policy decision
taken by the New South Wales government," he told Melbourne radio 3AW.

"There's nothing legally we can do to stop it.

"Presumably they will have capacity to get it (heroin) without any assistance from
us and that's their challenge.

"It's not something that I support.

"We won't amend the law to allow the importation of heroin."

Mr Howard said he was in favour of moves to help addicts get off their habit.

He refused to say he would review his attitude if the injecting rooms were a success,
instead saying he doubted they would work.

"That is a very hypothetical question (of a review if it is seen to work) and I doubt
very much if it will be seen to work," Mr Howard said.

AAP lm/mg/br

KEYWORD: HEROIN HOWARD

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