UBP TO PUSH FOR RANDOM DRUG TESTING FOR MPS

The Opposition United Bermuda Party fully intends to push for random drug
testing for Bermuda's legislators.

"We as leaders have a level of responsibility and accountability. I think it
is incumbent on us to ensure that we bring it up again," said Shadow Works
Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin.

She made the comments during a Press conference yesterday in which she
announced that all of her party's legislators had passed random drug tests.

She said 18 of the legislators had been randomly selected and tested with
one hour's notice, and in the first half of this year another nine were
tested.

"Each member of our team has been tested at least once, and some have been
tested twice within that period," she said.

"We are pleased to announce that the results of these tests showed that our
United Bermuda Party parliamentarians and Senators are 100 percent free of
illicit drugs."

Ms Gordon-Pamplin added: "We invited the government MPs to join us in this
initiative, in order to show Bermuda that our deliberations are made most
soberly on their behalf. Unfortunately, the government determined that this
initiative is an invasion of their privacy, and every one of them voted
against joining us in this example in this past parliamentary session. They
even went so far as to say we, the UBP, must have a problem if we need to
have an outside agency monitor us".

But she stressed that the UBP was keen to set an example for Bermuda's
young.

"If we can show our young people that all choices have consequences, then it
would follow that our choice to be drug-free will allow us to conduct the
business of the country in the best possible state of awareness," Ms
Gordon-Pamplin continued.

"We also believe most fervently that we must be accountable to those who
have entrusted us with their vote, and to show that we have the team capable
of sober pronouncements and actions on their behalf. In addition we hope
that the results of our choices serve to allow our young people to strive to
emulate our drug-free lifestyles, which in turn will give them better
opportunities in life."

She said the announcement was being made to coincide with PRIDE's red ribbon
campaign week and the "heightened awareness of our young people to the
negative impact that drugs have in our society, and also in keeping with our
support of the PRIDE principles." She said that the random testing had
checked for most illicit drugs, and had anyone tested positive they would
have been encouraged to get necessary assistance and would no longer serve
as parliamentarians under the UBP.

As for the legal drug alcohol, Ms Gordon-Pamplin said that alcohol abuse was
more easily detected than illicit drug use.

"If there was a problem which was identified by us... we, again, would take
the necessary steps to encourage that individual to seek assistance. I do
know that many people in our community don't hesitate to have a glass of
wine with their meals and I don't believe that in and of itself is the cause
of an alcohol problem," she said.

"However we are very sympathetic that anybody who has substance abuse
problems or alcohol abuse problems that they would need to get assistance."

But she said that the party had not discussed the repercussions of alcohol
abuse when asked whether an alcoholic would continue to serve in parliament.