TRUTH IS A VICTIM OF THE WAR ON DRUGS

SIR - You report that a company executive who bought ecstasy pills to
celebrate his 45th birthday with his wife and friends was fined by Judge
Davies at Horseferry Road court [Executive, 45 had ecstasy for his
birthday, 2 December 1998]. The judge said his dabbling in a drug "that is
killing teenagers" was a poor example to others.

Indeed, ecstasy use is related to several deaths per year in the UK. By
comparison, alcohol causes some 30,000 deaths every year in the UK, but it
is easy to imagine the judge proposing a toast with his colleagues after
the sentence was passed and yet another fine example was set.

Mr Davies said: "What is a court to do with a person who had 10 ecstasy
tablets, with intent to supply them to his wife and friends, when the
newspapers are full of stories of teenagers who die from just one
consumption of the drug?"

At times, the newspapers seem full of such stories, indeed. And it seems
that in the Drug War, as in any war, truth is among the severely wounded
victims.

Checked-by: derek rea