THE COURAGE of ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher in working toward a needle exchange program in Canberra's prison is to be commended, though her proposal falls short of her party's policy of more than 10 years ago.
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Before the 2001 federal election, Labor effectively committed to a scientific trial of heroin by prescription for long-term addicts for whom no other treatment had worked. Such a trial had been proposed by former ACT chief minister Kate Carnell but was vetoed in 1999 by the Howard government, apparently after receiving cabinet support.
It must be hoped that if her government is re-elected on October 20, Gallagher will test the resolve of her federal counterparts and move quickly to revive the Carnell proposal. After all, Australian Labor acknowledged in 2001 the use of heroin on prescription for long-term users had been taking place in Britain for decades. More recently, similar trials in Switzerland and Holland had reduced drug use and crime.
Despite the foresight of their then leader, Carnell, Canberra Liberals now oppose even a needle exchange program in the prison despite nine new cases of hepatitis C recorded there since it opened about four years ago.
It is bad enough that prisoners take their chances with the drugs provided to them by whatever means. But to deny them clean needles is of potential detriment to them and ultimately the wider community.
Of course it is preferable that no one uses illicit drugs. But some people do and to seek to minimise the harm they do to themselves and others is a pragmatic and arguably an ethical response, particularly in prisons where about 60 per cent of inmates had or have had a drug addiction. Frequently that is why they are there.
Gallagher says she wants prisoners to have clean needles to safely inject drugs. Fair enough, but what of the stuff they inject?
The prison guards, through their union, say they risk injury from needles used in an exchange program. Surely they are at greater risk from hidden and used needles. And the guards, all things being equal, surely have a pretty good idea which prisoners are using drugs. Yet rather sanctimoniously they say they do not want to be complicit in an illegal activity.
Then let's have a transparent system in which prisoners are not subject to intimidation by prison officers and where addicts are registered and receive appropriate treatment. This should include clean needles and where appropriate prescription drugs, with such treatment to continue after prison if necessary.
