Pubdate: Sat, 10 Feb 2001
Source: Courier-Mail, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2001 News Limited
Contact:  GPO Box 130, Brisbane Queensland  4001
Fax: (07) 3666 6696
Website: http://www.thecouriermail.com.au/
Author: Tony Koch

ADDICT STANDS FOR LIBS

'I'm a filthy dirty junkie who could not, until now, call myself a junkie'

LAST month Mardi McLean, the endorsed Liberal candidate for Bundamba, wrote 
a letter which she hoped would change her life. Mardi, 22, is a recovering 
heroin addict who was tempted by friends to "try" injecting when she was a 
16-year-old student at the exclusive St Margaret's Anglican Grammar School, 
Ascot.

She has overdosed 11 times and wonders how she is still alive. Dozens of 
her friends have not been so fortunate.

Her heart-wrenching letter said in part: "Mum: For the first time in my 
life I want to come clean with myself and be honest to me and to you. I'm a 
filthy dirty junkie who could not, until now, call myself a junkie. I 
considered myself a person who was trendy and upper-class, better than 
everyone else and who used heroin.

"But I now know that I'm no better than a hooker in the Valley shoving 
needles in my arm to kill my soul, spirit, heart and self-esteem. I know 
I'm not only ruining my life but your's and all the people who care about me."

Two weeks ago Mardi underwent a Naltrexone implant programme at Dr Stuart 
Reece's Highgate Hill clinic.

"I've been clean for months, but this is the best thing that has ever 
happened to me since I started using," she said. "Too many of my friends 
have died. This morning I accompanied a 16-year-old girl who had overdosed 
to hospital. This electorate -- Brisbane -- is just full of drugs, and it 
is wrong that it will take an election to make it an issue.

"The Liberal Party is the only party which has a proper policy, and on 
Sunday we are all joining the Naltrexone rally which leaves Parliament 
House at 10am. We have to support Dr Reece. He's just such a wonderful 
person, and the only hope that us junkies have.

"That's why I am contesting for the Liberals -- it is imperative that we 
make drug rehabilitation an issue.

"It is a medical problem, not criminal."

Liberal Party state director Graham Jaeschke yesterday said the party was 
aware of Mardi's battle with drugs and supported her in her rehabilitation.

"She is a terrific example to thousands of other kids out there who face 
this dreadful problem, and the Liberal Party is totally supportive of Mardi."

Mardi is a Royal Show champion equestrian and last April was crowned Miss 
Darling Downs Showgirl. In 1994, she was a state finalist in the Dolly 
magazine cover girl model contest.

Her candidature for the February 17 election for the safe Labor seat could 
not be more low-key. She has no budget, no posters, no advertising and no 
printed material to post to constituents or put in letter boxes. She is 
unsure where there will be helpers to hand out how-to-vote cards.

"Heroin is not a recreational drug. It's evil -- disgusting. Nobody wants 
to be a heroin addict and every addict I know wants to get off the drug. 
The only hope is Naltrexone, and they all want it, but it is expensive and 
politicians and authorities are dithering about getting behind it," Mardi said.

"More than 90 percent of heroin users would be hepatitis C-positive. It 
sucks that our lives are in the hands of politicians."

Mardi said there were only three ways to sustain a daily heroin habit like 
hers -- to steal, deal or prostitute one's body. "I was on Austudy and used 
that, and used to deal all the time. My mates would have money and luckily 
I have come out of it never having got into trouble with the law or 
prostitution, and without any diseases," she said.

Dr Reece, who continues to lobby political and health authorities to 
recognise Naltrexone as the way to fight the "heroin war", said Mardi had 
turned her life around with her will to beat her addiction.
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