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Pubdate: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 Source: Age, The (Australia) Copyright: 2001 The Age Company Ltd Contact: 250 Spencer Street, Melbourne, 3000, Australia Website: http://www.theage.com.au/ Forum: http://forums.f2.com.au/login/login.asp?board=TheAge-Talkback Author: Chloe Saltau with Andra Jackson HEROIN TRIAL LIKELY: EXPERT Victoria is likely to have a heroin trial if there is a change of leadership in Canberra this year, according to an expert who is about to take a senior role in the Bracks Government's battle against drug abuse. Paul McDonald, Victoria's Youth Substance Abuse Service founding chief executive, has been appointed to develop and implement drug strategies for the Department of Human Services. He said it was "not a matter of if, but when" a heroin trial went ahead in Victoria. Such a trial depends on a change in the federal political climate. With a federal election looming, a controlled, medically supervised heroin trial is a possibility in Victoria. "When you look at the soul-destroying, damaging lifestyle for thousands of young adults and their family groups, we have to have a trial," Mr McDonald said. "But there's not much that can be done until the Commonwealth moves." His comments come after police warned that Melbourne was in the grip of a severe heroin shortage. Senior Detective Nigel L'Estrange of Flemington CIU said there had also been a drop in heroin purity that had led to a rise in violent crime. The Youth Substance Abuse Service, dedicated to treating addiction in 12 to 21-year-olds, was set up as a result of Dr David Penington's report to the Kennett government in 1996. In his most recent set of recommendations on illicit drug abuse, handed to Health Minister John Thwaites last November, Dr Penington urged the government to press ahead with preparations for a properly controlled trial of prescription heroin for registered addicts in anticipation of a change of government or in the Liberal leadership. Prime Minister John Howard has ruled out such a trial. The concept attracted bipartisan political support in Victoria before Mr Howard vetoed attempts to set up a prescription program in the ACT. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom