YOU describe Ecstasy as western Europe's most popular recreational drug
(issue :356), while "the number of deaths in Europe is below 100, and is
negligible compared with those attributed to alcohol and nicotine".

Indeed, the actual number of deaths is probably closer to 50. Nevertheless
your editorial calls for a sort of guerrilla warfare against the drug.

The estimates of deaths attributable to tobacco and alcohol in the European
Union are 500,000 and 150,000 annually. However, this does not lead us to
engage in a war on tobacco or a battle against alcohol. A recent
consultation paper issued by the British government proposed changes to
licensing legislation, with longer permitted hours on Friday and Saturday
nights: This states: "The government believes that people should be allowed
to spend their leisure time as they wish, provided they do not unreasonably
harm others' interests , and should not be prevented from doing so by
unnecessary government interference."

While Ecstasy casualties are in the same order of magnitude as those of
horse-riding or mountain climbing, the European's editorial comment states
that "Ecstasy causes agony and death" and "the only way to remove Ecstasy
is to clear it street by street". Recent pleas for a rational consideration
of the problem have apparently not reached your ears.

Harry Bego,
Utrecht, the Netherlands