As long ago as October 2014, an online ABC item by Bronwyn Herbert reported that more than 300 ice addicts a year were turning to naltrexone implants at the Fresh Start Perth clinic run by Dr George O'Neil. The WA government funds it to the tune of $3 million annually.

A video accompanies the Herbert item with Leigh Sales reporting. Professor Gary Hulse is an addiction specialist at the University of WA and believes naltrexone research should be fast-tracked. In 2014, he was reported as saying, "When we had a swine flu epidemic, there were big pushes to find medication treatment; if they weren't registered, to push them forward, to look at safety and to get them out to the community."

Dr O'Neil agreed there had been three naltrexone-related deaths in 2012 in Sydney (not his clinic) as a result of bad practices. Given these had nothing to do with Dr O'Neil, and that implant naltrexone constantly resident in the blood works like naloxone, which nullifies the effect of opiates, it can be reasonably concluded that if the 32 persons who died from overdoses here – mentioned by Bill Bush – had been under treatment in Perth they would not have died.

Put another way, a person whose life is saved in the Kings Cross injecting facility today, may die tomorrow injecting at home, or with mates in a public place – while the same does not occur with appropriately implanted naltrexone.

Colliss Parrett, Drug Advisory Council Australia, Barton

Thanks to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australia has been saved from an ill-advised movement to sacrifice its sovereignty by urging a massive Investor State Dispute Settlement scheme on a scale, a resurgent TPP.

Mr Trudeau reportedly "failed to show up at a meeting that was set to officially revive an 11-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement" ("Australia 'stood up' for TPP after Trudeau setback: Turnbull", CT online, November 11).

The TPP originated as an anti-Chinese trade manoeuvre. Even its originator, the US, realised during Mr Obama's presidency that it was counter-productive.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

The ACT government is falling behind in its management of dogs that are dangerous, aggressive or a nuisance.

It's time the ACT government improved its performance in this area. South Australia is the latest jurisdiction to take firm and timely action against the owners of dogs that attack innocent people.

Why can't the ACT government follow suit?

Peter Hancock, Curtin

No witch-hunts in our Australia, eh ("NSW police visit homes of people on secret watchlist without cause", Canberra Times, November 12)?

Just good old-fashioned harassment ... whoops, sorry, I meant "Suspect Targeting Management Plans".

Maybe we could hang suspected miscreants off the new fence surrounding the hallowed seat of our democracy or, if that's a bit too confronting, why not be a generous neighbour and just ship them off to New Guinea?

John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW

Douglas Mackenzie (Letters, November 12) should well know by now the answer to his question in his response to H. Ronald's request for more information on climate science consensus (Letters, November 5).

No amount of "who" and "what" will be sufficient for Mr Ronald to stop expressing doubts about the science, because more than enough information to arrive at the correct conclusion has been available to the general public for quite some time, yet he will not.

Anyone still expressing doubts about the role humans have played in altering the chemical and physical properties of Earth's biosphere is either an ignorant dolt (which Mr Ronald clearly is not) or they stand to lose something by conceding they are wrong and stepping out of the way of meaningful action being taken. If Mr Ronald has investments in fossil fuels it might be wise to think about divesting, but if his intransigence is simply a matter of pride, I'd personally rather eat a little humble pie than be widely regarded as a fool.

James Allan, Narrabundah

I recently watched a national television news report of an elderly driver (reportedly in his 90s) losing control of his motor vehicle. This resulted in a number of collisions and damage to property, but fortunately no injury or loss of life. The same could not, of course, be said about an earlier accident at Banksia Road Public School that resulted in the deaths of, and serious injury to, several young people.

I heard it suggested that both accidents resulted, to some extent, from the driver attempting to brake but hitting the accelerator pedal by mistake, thus causing the vehicle to surge forward.

This could be seen as a convenient excuse; however, I believe it does have some merit. Some years ago I owned a late-model Toyota Aurion, a beautiful motor vehicle. There were, however, a number of occasions, when driving the vehicle, I attempted to activate the brake but hit the accelerator pedal by mistake, or the accelerator and brake simultaneously. Similarly, my right foot, on occasion, tended to slip off the brake pedals onto the accelerator.

In each situation, the relatively powerful engine, coupled with automatic transmission, resulted in my momentarily losing control of the vehicle, a thoroughly scary (and dangerous) situation, particularly if the driver is elderly with naturally reduced facilities.

I am now in my 70s and suffering from Parkinson's disease. For this reason, and following on from negotiations and consultations with health authorities, I elected to surrender my driver's licence.

Since that time, after reading or hearing of similar situations, I consider I did the right thing. I am aware that drivers over 75 years of age are required to be tested annually as to their ability to drive safely. Perhaps the relevant government authorities collectively could look at reducing the statutory reassessment age to, say, 70.

Andrew Rowe, Florey