WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, THERE'S FIRE

The UN agency has publicly recognised what many Australians have long known
- - that our children are being hooked on drugs because of a "culture of drug
friendliness" assisted by "pro-drug" messages.

But perhaps we needed this reminder from an outside source to combat those
in quasi-official positions who continue to argue on fewer restrictions on
illicit drug users.

For too long, the drug debate in Australia has been dominated by a core of
media-savvy individuals determined to shift public opinion about illicit
drug use.

Their public relations campaign has seen the publication of major articles
on the alleged beneficial properties of marijuana, stories of people who
claim they use heroin without getting hooked and so-called user of "soft"
and "recreational" drugs.

They have pushed themselves upon largely ignorant radio and television
hosts and they have shamelessly tried to enlist some of those parents who
have lost children to drug overdoses.

Subtly, softly and gently they are trying to change the perception of drugs
as agents of harm and to some extent they are winning.

In our schools, children have been taught how to use drugs "safely" while
the problems inherent in drug abuse have been all but ignored.

The promotion of this week's homosexual Mardi Gras with the so-called gay
culture's celebration of drugs use is another example of the wrong messages
being pushed on the public.

The International Narcotics Control Board, however, has clearly seen the
problems inherent in such an approach to the drug situation.

It noted the problem of implementing successful drug abuse prevention
techniques and strategies in an environment where some politicians, pop
culture idols, the media and the Internet publicly promoted and tolerated
the recreational use of drugs.

Perhaps the INCB's researchers read some of the remarks made by State
Parliament's self-confessed doper, the nudist Upper House MP Richard Jones,
or listened to Triple-J's hysterical announcers.

The report sounds so familiar.

Ironically, the pro-drug lobby has been most skilful in exploiting and
manipulating international reports in its campaigns.

It is unlikely to embrace the UN's findings with the same enthusiasm but
those at the battle front in the war against drugs won't be surprised.