Pubdate: Wed, 08 Aug 2001
Source: Australian Associated Press (Australia Wire)
Copyright: 2001 Australian Associated Press

LABOR WOULD CONSIDER DRUG TRIAL SAYS BEAZLEY

A Labor government would consider favourably any proposal for a 
heroin trial, Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said today.

Australia's top level crime fighting body today backed a heroin trial 
with addicts supplied out of a government repository.

The National Crime Authority (NCA) said options previously deemed 
unpalatable needed to be considered to help tackle the rising problem 
of drugs and organised crime.

Mr Beazley said a Labor government would consider any proposal for a 
trial put to them by one of the states or territories.

"Our position is that we would consider any approach that came to us 
from a state government to conduct such a trial," he told reporters.

"We would have a disposition to view it favourably and we would look 
at our international obligations to see what we needed to do to clear 
it in the context of those international obligations."
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