Letters to the Editor

PROPER WARNING NEEDED ON POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PILLS

Sir,

I read a short piece in the Irish Independent (9 December 1997) with the
title "Drug may be lethal", in which the South Eastern Health Board warned
about amphetamine tablets containing impurities which could prove fatal.

I was surprised to see that there was no description given of the tablets
in question. Surely, coming as we are to the Christmas season, with all the
parties that will take place as a result, it would be a sensible precaution
to actually give descriptions of these tablets.

I know that some would say that to accept that people do use these illegal
drugs may appear to be sending out a signal that it is ok to do so. But it
is estimated that the number of people using Ecstasy in this country runs
into the tens of thousands. A Hotpress article suggested that as many as
50,000 tablets are sold each week. And yet we see no official attempts at
genuine harmreduction policies.

In an interview earlier this year, a spokesperson for the Students Union of
Ireland stated that the "just say no" approach would not work and a "harm
reduction" campaign was needed.

In October last, certain tablets being sold as Ecstasy in the Netherlands
were found to contain the drug 'atropine' rather than MDMA (ecstasy).
Atropine is derived from the Deadly Nightshade plant and, although it does
have medical uses, is an extremely dangerous drug.

On 9th November, concerned that the tablets appeared to be moving
westwards, I sent details of them to the Garda Drugs Unit and to the Drugs
Advisory and Treatment Centre. In each case I enclosed a sheet giving full
descriptions of the tablets, both in writing and with drawings, and urged
that a public warning be issued before a death resulted from these pills in
Ireland.

I never got an acknowledgement.

I am saddened and angered by this apparent lack of concern about the
welfare of our young people. I just hope and pray that the parents and
families of some poor soul are not going to be left grieving over the
unnecessary death of one of their loved ones this festive season.
Unnecessary because of the lack of will by the authorities to put in place
a genuine harmreduction policy with regard to drugs.

If anyone wishes to know more details of the rogue Ecstasy pills mentioned
above, there is a page on the Internet describing them. It is at
http://www.iol.ie/~mcooke2/other/november.htm

Yours

Martin Cooke, Corcormick, Drumkeerin, Co Leitrim