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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 4 Hansard (22 April) . . Page.. 1150 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General, Minister for Justice and Community Safety and Minister Assisting the Treasurer) (12.00): Mr Speaker, acting for my colleague the Minister for Health, I thank the Opposition for its support for the Bill and I hope it does lead to more effective management of those particular pharmaceuticals referred to.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.

Bill agreed to.

Debate resumed from 25 March 1999, on motion by Mr Moore:

MR SPEAKER: Is it the wish of the Assembly to debate this order of the day concurrently with order of the day No. 7, Executive business, relating to the ministerial statement on outcomes of the Special Council of Australian Governments on a national approach to illicit drug use? There being no objection, that course will be followed. I remind members in debating order of the day No. 6 they may also address their remarks to order of the day No. 7, Executive business relating to the ministerial statement on the outcomes of the Special Council of Australian Governments on a national approach to illicit drug use.

MR BERRY (12.01): In looking at the issue of a drug strategy for the ACT you first of all have to look at the history of drug use in Australia. We can all recall the discussion about how drugs like heroin were available from your local pharmacy in the 1950s. Some of us can talk about it and some of us can remember it. Those were the days when many people were receiving heroin and other drugs, but heroin, in particular, as a medication and became addicted to the drug. Authorities at the time decided that this was inappropriate and subsequently banned the drug. Since that day there has been an increase in use of heroin in the black market which has led us to today's crisis, if you like, in the abuse of what is now an illicit drug and other illicit drugs.

The ACT drug strategy, of course, has to blend in some way with what is going on in other States. It is extremely important that we address the issue in the Territory, principally because of the effect that it has on individual users, but not forgetting the impact that it has on the community and the families of people who are dependent on a particular drug. We ought not maintain our focus just on heroin. That is the high

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