MINISTER VOWS TO FIGHT DRUG SCOURGE

THE ANTI-drugs campaign "Just Say No" failed in highlighting the dangers of
drugs, Northern Ireland minister Adam Ingram has admitted.

And writing in today's Irish News - in support of a week-long news focus
detailing the growing drug problem in the north - the minister said there
could no longer be any complacency in the fight against drug abuse.

His warning comes only days after the RUC seized one of the biggest hauls
of drugs in Northern Ireland.

Around £1m in Ecstasy tablets and cannabis resin were seized after a
planned search in Coalisland, Co Tyrone, on Friday night.

And as concerns grow about the availability of hard drugs - including
heroin - on the streets of Northern Ireland an investigative report by an
Irish News team has revealed that it's as easy to buy drugs as alcohol in
many clubs.

In one nightclub in Belfast city centre drug deals were openly carried out
and dealers approached clubbers offering Ecstasy at £10 a tablet.

The pushers had no problem in trading their wares on the premises, passing
door staff undetected.

The Irish News and News Letter are jointly backing a drugs awareness
campaign, spearheaded by the Health Promotion Agency, to highlight the
different type of drugs available on the streets.

The week-long series begins today with a focus on the availability of drugs
in the north which has seen Ecstasy and cannabis seizures double between
1997 and 1998.

Tomorrow free booklets highlighting the dangers of drugs and solvents
entitled A Guide For Parents will be included with the paper.

The booklet outlines the risks involved in taking drugs from cannabis to
deadly heroin and informs parents how to detect signs of drug taking.

But it is also hoped that the booklet will provide teenagers as well as
parents with the information on the dangers of drug abuse.

Meanwhile Mr Ingram told the Irish News that he fears young people in
Northern Ireland do not see drugs as a problem.

"The Just Say No campaign was well meaning but ineffective," he conceded.

"But there can be no complacency in the fight against drug abuse.

"Anyone who has seen the devastating effects of drug misuse, will know that
it is not some harmless fun. It kills young people and it destroys
families: that is the reality."

And while Mr Ingram has warned that police intend to step up the pressure
in tracking down drug dealers, he said parents had a crucial role to play
in protecting their children from the horrors of drugs.

Urging parents to talk to their children about drugs, he said: "The central
message of all this is that if you don't talk to your children about drugs
- - someone else will.

"We have a chance to get a grip on this problem before it goes too deep.

"No one should think that drug abuse is someone else's problem. Don't leave
it too late."

MORE NEWS AT http://www.irishnews.com/current/headlines.html