WHY TACKLE HEROIN AND IGNORE ALCOHOL?

Fred Nile is being disingenuous when he claims that the rate of drug
abuse is lower in Swedish "young people" than in Australian "young
people" (Letters, June 16). When binge drinking is included in drug
abuse statistics, the incidence of drug abuse by Swedish young people
is higher than it is in Australia.

In fact, the hypocrisy that alcohol is an acceptable drug and all
other drugs are somehow more dangerous was a theme being pushed by
several people at the Drug Summit 2000, largely on the grounds that
alcohol is here to stay (as if cannabis etc are not) and that the
alcohol industry would make a bad enemy.

The fact of the matter is that there is no such thing as a safe drug,
just as there is no thing as a safe seat in politics, something Mr
Nile is no doubt well aware of.

If a group of people are going to push for a drug-free society, that
is fine, but they should do so by first targeting the drug that causes
the most harm to families and society, that is alcohol. But then again
one would not want to make powerful enemies, would one?

Dr Michael Dawson, University of Technology, Sydney.