BEATTIE REJECTS HEROIN TRIAL CALL

QUEENSLAND Premier Peter Beattie has rejected renewed calls for a national
heroin trial. ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope this week wrote to Prime
Minister John Howard and state leaders proposing a jointly funded national
heroin trial.

But Mr Beattie said he did not believe the trial, which would involve
prescribing heroin to addicts, would work.

"It may well be that what (Mr Stanhope) is seeking to do may work in the
ACT," Mr Beattie said.

"I am pessimistic because drug problems are not the same around the world
or around Australia."

Mr Beattie said research conducted overseas by Queensland Health Minister
Wendy Edmond last year had not convinced him that either prescribing heroin
or setting up injecting rooms would work.

"I don't see any evidence anywhere in the world that they do work," Mr
Beattie said.

"In European trials there is an enormous amount of (health) support for
those on the trials.

"But what happens when you withdraw that support? The person, in many
cases, falls over."

Mr Beattie said Queensland would continue its strategy of introducing
school nurses, trialling a drug court and allowing police to issue warnings
for people caught using small amounts of marijuana rather than fining or
jailing them.

"This year we will work with the Prime Minister to see if it can be
extended to small quantities of other drugs," Mr Beattie said.

"We are prepared to consider examining that issue in the interest of trying
to save lives."