Pubdate: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 Source: Canberra Times (Australia) Copyright: 2000 Canberra Times Contact: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/ Author: Col Parrett DRUGS: THE EMPHASIS SHOULD BE CHANGED THE COMMUNITY'S condolences go out to Neil Lade ("Rhetoric won't halt deaths", CT, 15 August, p.9) at the loss of his daughter. With such losses, whether from alcohol-caused road crashes or illicit drugs, the pain is the same. Perhaps the biggest tragedy is that there will be more, despite what governments may or may not do. I'm certain nearly everyone agrees that what we are doing is not working. But I'm equally as certain that neither Mr Lade nor anyone else would want to see measures introduced, e.g. shooting galleries, that would directly or indirectly influence other young people, either early or finally, to end their lives tragically. Unfortunately, Mr Lade's view that current polices are based on law enforcement and zero tolerance is not correct. The national policy is harm minimisation, and Mr Lade and others could be forgiven for thinking there has been more harm than minimisation. I cry along with many others for the community to get angry and demand a 180-degree change in emphasis to compassionate prevention (not law enforcement per se) instead of it being as it is now - an unused parachute on a doomed drugs-policy plane. COL PARRETT Kingston - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake