Heroin success queried
From AAP
04feb02
THE federal Government has been accused of lying about inroads into the illicit heroin trade as a new report warns of a flood of other drugs such as amphetamines into Australia.
Families and Friends for Drug Law Reform president Brian McConnell said evidence from law enforcement agencies indicated drug czars overseas had made a marketing decision to reduce the heroin pipeline into Australia.
Instead they had decided to target younger drug users wary of injected heroin with tablet-based methamphetamines like ecstasy and LSD, he said.
Mr McConnell said Prime Minister John Howard was claiming credit for the heroin reduction under his Tough on Drugs strategy, when it was really due to a commercial decision by Asian drug syndicates.
"The Prime Minister and his ministers have said that Tough on Drugs is totally responsible. We believe that this is not true.
"If we are told lies and untruths by the Prime Minister about this particular aspect then there are serious implications for the drug policy of Australia.
"It leaves us at the mercy of the criminal gangs."
Mr McConnell said his organisation had written to Mr Howard to demand an independent judicial inquiry into the drug problem.
He said while a fall-off in heroin availability was welcome, with fewer deaths from overdoses, the amphetamine trade brought with it another set of problems, such as drug-induced psychosis.
Bill Bush, the author of the report, said federal politicians were dancing to the tune of the drug lords by ignoring the flood of methamphetamines.
The report was called The Australian Heroin Drought - the case for an inquiry into its causes and the flood of methamphetamines.
Mr Bush said he had already held talks with the Australian Federal Police about his concerns and would be meeting with Commissioner Mick Kelty on Wednesday.
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