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To the Editor: Wodak cites the support of the Australian Medical
Association for the proposed ACT heroin trial in his
editorial.1 The Federal Executive of the
AMA supported the trial but the Queensland Branch (AMAQ) opposed it.
The basic premise of Wodak's editorial is that stopping the trial
showed lack of support for evidence-based medicine. AMAQ opposed the
trial on the grounds that there was little scientific evidence, and
what evidence there was came only from Switzerland and much of it was
dubious at best. A view was expressed at AMAQ Council that the proposed
stages of the trial were an unpleasant experiment on Australian
society.
The reason for Wodak's response lies in the second paragraph of his
editorial, where he refers to the lucrative profits from trafficking
of illicit drugs. Wodak and the trial's supporters appear to believe
that liberal use of free heroin would threaten the profits of drug
traffickers, but for that to be so heroin would have to be widely
available in the community. Thus, the purpose of the trial was not to
determine efficacy, as the authors of the trial, like Wodak, knew the
outcome -- the introduction of free heroin throughout Australia.
Christopher J Alroe
Member, Australian Medical Association Queensland Branch Council;
and Senior Consultant,
Rockhampton District Mental Health Service,
PO Box 4055, Rockhampton, QLD 4700
- Wodak AD. Public health and politics: the demise of the ACT heroin
trial [editorial]. Med J Aust 1997; 167: 348-349.
©MJA 1999
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