Source: Australian, The (Australia) Copyright: News Limited 2000 Contact: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/ Author: Kristine Gough And Misha Schubert BRACKS VOWS TO FIGHT FOR HEROIN TRIALS COMMUNITY opposition would not stop the Victorian Government pushing ahead with legislation to establish safe injecting room trials, Steve Bracks said yesterday.As advocates of a proposed facility in Footscray accused one community group of scaremongering over the issue, the Premier said his Government would "have the courage of our convictions", even if it meant losing votes. "Votes aren't the issue here - if it becomes unpopular but it is the right thing to do, we will do it," he said. His comments followed a heated public meeting in Footscray at the weekend, during which local Labor MP Bruce Mildenhall was shouted down as he attempted to outline the Government's proposed legislation on injecting rooms. Footscray Matters, an anti-trial group that organised the meeting, enlisted the support of former rock star Normie Rowe, who told the audience injecting rooms were "akin to giving an alcoholic a bottle of scotch a day". The meeting demanded the issue be put to a referendum by Maribyrnong City Council, which has yet to take a stance on the issue. But local youth worker Les Twentyman said the mostly elderly audience was given misleading information about the results of similar trials overseas. "It's targeting people who are very vulnerable and it's just dividing the community," he said. Mr Twentyman said there were 26 heroin-related deaths in the Footscray area last year, among a population of 55,000. Footscray Matters spokeswoman Carole Demirdjian said the proposed trial of five injecting facilities across Melbourne failed to recognise the issue was a state-wide crisis. She said the money should be used to fund more street-level welfare workers, who could advise on options for counselling and rehabilitation, and dispense clean syringes. Marian Burford, spokeswoman for recently formed pro-trial group Footscray Cares, said a majority of residents were in favour of the trials but had until now been less organised than opponents of the trials.