STRAIGHT FACTS, PLEASE

Information released to the press by police regarding the recent record
ecstasy seizure shows scant regard for the accuracy of facts and figures.

Having been involved in drug education and counselling, I can tell you that,
despite the police trying to pin the responsibility for ecstasy use on the
"Sydney dance scene", the holiday season will see this drug consumed by
people of all ages and persuasions, in suburban pubs, backyard barbecues,
camp sites and private homes.

Just because their kids do not frequent inner-city dance clubs, parents
should not have false confidence that they will not come into contact with
this, or many other so-called "party drugs".

Basic factual errors by the police, like quoting almost double the real
street price for ecstasy when calculating the value of their seizure, could
easily result in parents mistakenly believing that this drug is too
expensive for their kids to procure with their pocket money.

Either the police are way out of touch with the realities of drug sales and
use in Sydney, or they are not about to let the facts get in the way of a
good story.

Delon Price, Potts Point