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1981 users. Howard argued the trial sent
the ‘wrong message’ and that his
decision reflected the community’s
opposition to the trial - despite
the finding of Kevin Waller’s Task
In 1981 the NSW Government asked Force report on community
whether heroin should be used as a form attitudes. 1
Heroin Committee of Inquiry into the Legal In 1995 the Victorian Premier Jeff
of maintenance therapy. The Premier
appointed Jim Rankin to chair the NSW
1995
Provision of Heroin and Other Possible
Methods of Diminishing Crime
Associated with the Supply and Use of
Heroin.
The Committee recommended a trial
Kennett established the Premier’s
of heroin assisted treatment.
Drug Advisory Council, headed by
into illicit drugs and how to tackle
never taken up.
Maintenance The recommendation however was Professor Pennington, to inquire 1 . RE V IE WIN G TH E
the illicit drug trade. Impetus for the
1990s
Inquiry was linked to a reported
increase in heroin trafficking
across the State and a substantial
increase in heroin related overdoses
Trials Assembly appointed a Select compared to 84 in 1994 and 59 in E FFEC TI VE NE SS O F
During the 1990’s the ACT Legislative
in Victoria, namely 140 in 1995,
Committee on HIV, Illegal Drugs and
1993. The Council’s 1996 report
D RUG TRE ATM E NT
unanimously recommended the
Prostitution. The Committee
considered and accepted a
Victorian Government encour-
PRO G R A M S IN
recommendation to undertake a trial
age the Commonwealth to support
V I C TO RIA WITH
of heroin assisted treatment. The ACT
the ACT heroin pilot study and,
if appropriate, the subsequent
Legislative Assembly also accepted the
RECO MME NDATI O N S
recommendation and after 6 years of
extensive research into the feasibility
Victoria. The Council took the view
of a trial, a report was presented to the clinical trial of heroin prescription in O N H OW TRE ATM E NT
that it was important to look afresh
ACT Chief Minister in 1995 at strategies that might curb A N D HA RM MINIMI -
recommending 3 pilot studies to assess demand and reduce the harm caused
the usefulness of heroin as a by the use of illicit drugs. However, SATI O N S TR ATEG I E S
maintenance treatment for dependent in response to the Pennington COU LD B E US E D A S
heroin users. Inquiry, the Victorian Government
The ACT Chief Minister then commis- rejected a clinical heroin trial in A N A LTE RNATIV E TO
sioned a Task Force headed by NSW Victoria.
Coroner Kevin Waller to examine com- CRIMINA L PE NA LTIE S;
munity attitudes to a heroin trial.
In 1996 the Task Force recommended
the ACT Government should proceed “ T H E T I M E FO R R E S E A R C H TO
to a clinical trial to test the efficacy of D E T E R MINE W HE T HE R T HE
heroin prescription as an additional T R E AT M E N T WO R K S H A S N OW
maintenance treatment option. PA S T.
The Federal Minister for Justice R E S E A R C H I S N OW N E E D E D TO
believed the findings of the Heroin D E T E R MINE H OW TO IN C R E A S E
Pilot Task Force Report were T H E B E N E F I T S , R E D U C E T H E
important from a law enforcement C O S T S AND
perspective. In July 1997 the B E T TE R S E LE C T TH E PATI E NT S .
Australian Ministerial Council on I T I S INE VI TAB L E T HAT HE R O IN Heroin
Drug Strategy approved a heroin trial. A S S I S TE D TR E ATM E NT W I LL B E
However, with the change of P R OVID E D IN AU S T R AL IA
Government in August 1997, the S O O N E R O R L AT E R .” Maintenance
newly appointed Liberal Prime
Minister John Howard announced the Dr Alex Wodak, Director of the Alcohol
decision to withdraw Commonwealth and Drug Service at St Vincent’s Hospital,
support for the planned scientific trial 2009 Trials
in the ACT, which would have
provided heroin to 40 intractable

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