Drug-users have reportedly been assaulted by the police, detained without cause or charge, sprayed with tear gas and had their heads held under water. This is according to the NGO TB-HIV Care Association, which has been giving drug-users in Durban, Pretoria and Cape Town clean needles to reduce HIV and Hepatitis C infections.But the project has run into trouble with ward councillors and the police, who confiscate needles.In one meeting with the NGO a politician said: "I will resign before these services happen in my ward."On a separate occasion, a Moot [Pretoria North] community policing member, claiming to be a politician, called the NGO and said: "We are removing the harm reduction packs as fast as you are giving them out."In Cape Town, according to a report released by the association yesterday, most of the police attacks took place in Bellville, which has the lowest rate of return of syringes - 14% - due to the harassment of users.Bellville residents say they don't want the needle exchange project in the area because it will result in dirty needles being discarded. But the NGO exchanges dirty needles for clean ones.In Bellville, gangsters also steal the needles because they have value and can be reused or resold.The report showed that in Cape Town 108 incidents of police abuse were recorded between August and November last year, among them:62 in which needles were confiscated or broken by cops;Nine incidents of people being detained without charge or cause;14 assaults.In an incident in Wonderboom, north of Pretoria, in October, police sprayed tear gas, put plastic bags over users' heads and held users' heads under water, the report said.In Pretoria, 116 incidents of abuse were recorded between August and November. Most detailed needles being confiscated or broken by cops. Six involved extortion and five people said they were detained without charge.One drug-user, who requested anonymity, told the NGO: "People who use drugs are human; we deserve to be treated as humans, not shoved or moved and chased from area to area, denied services at every turn, constantly harassed or arrested."Another said: "Everyone in society is against you. No-one wants to know you or what happened to you."They hate you because they don't understand you."Police spokesman Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said the NGO and the users needed to report the incidents of assault and harassment so they could be investigated...