DRUGS MENACE - STIFFER SENTENCES: JUDGES STRIKE THE RIGHT CHORD

WHEN the judiciary calls for increased penalties for drug dealers in
Northern Ireland, alarm bells should sound throughout this community.
Yesterday the Court of Appeal described the existing maximum jail
sentence of 14 years as "unrealistic" and said new laws were needed to
curb the increasing drug trade in the province.

The current law was introduced in 1971, and there is a clear case for
reviewing whether the penalties which it laid down still provide an
effective deterrent. Controversially, the three appeal judges went on
to suggest that penalties here should be greater than elsewhere in the
UK, on the grounds that this is a problem which must be tackled before
it is too late.

Their case for longer sentences is based on the startling rise in drug
seizures in Northern Ireland in recent years. Last year, some 455kg of
cannabis resin recovered was recovered, an alarming increase on the
figure of 97kg in 1994. Similarly, the number of ecstacy tablets
intercepted rose from 2,711 in 1991 to 136,860 in 1995. The number of
LSD doses increased tenfold over the same four year period.

Successive surveys have shown that young people throughout Northern
Ireland have easy access to illegal drugs. Recently, there has been
growing evidence of the availability of hard drugs such as crack
cocaine and LSD, and worrying reports of the involvement in the drugs
business of paramilitary groups. It is an issue which affects every
strata of society, and there is no room for complacency.

Parents and teachers must reinforce the anti-drugs message, and become
more aware of the tell-tale signs. Given that the RUC estimates that
its seizures represent only 10% of the total amount of drugs in
circulation, the present figures represent just the tip of the
iceberg. The province's young people are being exploited by a network
of drug dealers, who are enjoying luxurious lifestyles as a result.
The threat of heavier sentences is one of the few deterrents at
society's disposal. The courts must be given the necessary powers to
impose meaningful penalties.