VIC: Bracks steps up drugs as election issue

AAP General News (Australia)
08-31-1999
VIC: Bracks steps up drugs as election issue

On the Victorian campaign trail, Labor has announced planned locations for five safe
injecting rooms while both sides have accused each other of putting politics before lives.

Opposition leader STEVE BRACKS says playgrounds, street corners and parks are already being
used as injecting rooms and a safe house trial would move drugs off the streets.

Under Labor's plan, safe injecting rooms would be built in the city centre, inner-city
Collingwood, bayside St Kilda, Footscray in Melbourne's west and Springvale in the
outer-eastern suburbs.

Three of the five local mayors involved have come out in support of the plan, which Mr
BRACKS says is dependent on majority approval from councils and the community.

But Premier JEFF KENNETT says Labor is playing with people's lives, accusing it of failing
to consider the health and policing risks.

He said he will reconsider his opposition to safe injecting rooms after the results of a
New South Wales trial.

But Mr BRACKS says Mr KENNETT is running a scare campaign and should be more responsible,
given that more than 200 Victorians died this year from heroin overdoses.

AAP RTV kmh/er/wz/rat

KEYWORD: POLLVIC (MELBOURNE)

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