OLDER DRUG USERS MOST AT RISK

Older drug users who take less heroin than their younger counterparts appear to be at greatest risk of succumbing to a fatal overdose, a new study has shown.

The ground-breaking research by the University of NSW's National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre ( NDARC ) suggests that more attention should be paid to recruiting older heroin users into rehabilitation and treatment if the high rate of fatal overdoses is to be reduced.

The study relied on forensic analysis of hair samples taken from living and dead heroin users, and aimed to explain a problem that has puzzled health authorities worldwide for several years: why do so many overdose deaths show drug concentrations well below those of living heroin users?

A research centre spokesman, Mr Paul Dillon, said the results suggested that while younger users appeared to be at great risk, the older, more experienced users were dying.  "This appears to be a combination of two factors: lowered tolerance and less regular use."

The number of fatal overdoses in NSW increased from 152 in 1992 to 226 in 1996, with the most "typical" heroin-related death involving a male around the age of 30 who is drug dependent.

The research findings have become public, coinciding with the first anniversary of the NSW Drug Summit and its major recommendation for an 18-month trial of a medically supervised heroin injecting centre.

The Special Minister for State, Mr Della Bosca, yesterday confirmed that the injecting centre at Kings Cross, which has been plagued by delays, was not expected to open until "the final quarter of this year".

It had been due to open next month.  But Mr Della Bosca said the preferred operator of the experiment, the Uniting Church, had still to file an application.

He denied that the Government was burying the start of the trial until after the Olympics.  "There is no linkage between the timing of the medically supervised injecting centre and any other international or national event ...  Olympics or otherwise," he said.

NDARC researchers collected hair samples taken from 42 fatal overdose victims, 55 allegedly abstinent and recovering drug users from two NSW rehabilitation centres and 100 current heroin users.

The hair was tested for morphine concentrations because heroin is rapidly metabolised into morphine once administered and can be detected in hair samples up to six months after intake.  Higher levels of morphine concentrations in the hair mean higher levels of use.

The research findings confirmed that older heroin users who were using less heroin were at greatest risk.

The report stresses that forensic evidence consistently shows that lower doses of heroin are fatal when combined with alcohol.

Mr Della Bosca marked the Drug Summit's first anniversary by launching a new slogan, "ActNow: NSW Government and You - Taking a stand against drugs", and announcing nearly $3 million of initiatives for private sector programs to help addicts.

At least $190,000 was earmarked for the Salvation Army, which opposes the safe injecting room, while $2.5 million will go to upgrading residential rehabilitation facilities and $120,000 to the Damien Trimingham Foundation.