Pubdate: Tue, 06 Jul 1999
Date: 07/06/1999
Source: Canberra Times (Australia)
Author: C. A. Parrett

OUR CURRENT drug policies are hopelessly contradictory. Substantial
new punitive advertising restrictions are to be placed on ACT (and
NSW) tobacco retailers.

I am not against these new regulations, but remember they relate to
legal products that kill about 17,000 annually Australia wide.
However, Mr Michael Moore wants to open shooting galleries for the
public to actually use dangerous illegal drugs that already kill about
800 annually.

Where is the sense, as such, in restricting the advertising of the
larger legal killer but virtually legalising and promoting the use of
the illegal killers?

Legalising and promoting tobacco in the first instance was precisely
how that drug became the scourge that it is, and has been, for 200
years!

Do we want the 800 to increase to 17,000 eventually? We are on path to
do it.

C. A. PARRETT
Bruce