Sir,

Dr Paul Skett, of Glasgow University, says it is "a belief born of
ignorance" to say that ecstasy and amphetamine are safe (your report, 17
April). But it is a belief born of ignorance to say many common substances
are safe.

One of Scotland's major exports, whisky, is a neurotoxin that causes brain
damage on a scale far greater than that which may or may not be caused by
ecstasy. Proportionally, far more people are killed and injured by alcohol
than by all the illegal drugs combined. No-one would claim that alcohol is
safe and yet people are prepared to take the risk in order to add an extra
dimension of enjoyment to their lives.

No-one in the "pro-lobby" says ecstasy, or whisky, or a host of other
things are safe but that these are relative and must be seen in context so
that people can make sound decisions based on facts and not on the sort of
distorted scare propoganda represented by Dr Skett's statements.

John Yates
Ekenas, Finland