The target for these drugs dealers are mainly our young people, who have an expendable income of sorts and are easily manipulated. If only these same young people knew exactly what they were inhaling, absorbing, injecting or swallowing into their precious bodies in the quest for that alter mute thrill. That short lived explosion of alleged joy or that brief moment of escapism from reality.
The greed of the drugs dealer knows no boundary. He, or as in some instances, she, will stoop to any depth to ensure that their profit margins grow, whilst keeping their out going expenditure to a bare minimum. In the illegal manufacture of ecstasy tablets for instance, forensic scientists have discovered that talcum powder, industrial cleaning powder and even rat poison are being added during the production process of the tablet, in order to make a larger quantity of tablets whilst using the least amount of MDMA drug. As with any illegal drug, there is no quality control in their production. Northern Ireland Office statistics show that during the year of 2000, there were fifty-four drugs related deaths within Northern Ireland, twenty-two of which were females. Who in their right mind can say that drugs use is a victimless crime, when you have figures like these?
I am of the opinion that cannabis is a drug which certain individuals would have you believe is harmless and should be legalised or at least downgraded. Mo Mowlam is recently on record as stating that certain drugs should be legalised. This is the same Mo Mowlam who in the tabloid press, proudly announced that she had not only had cannabis in her student years but unlike ex-President Bill Clinton, she went further and stated that she did inhale!
No wonder our young people are confused and easily lead into the illicit world of illegal drug use, when people in authority, such as Mo Mowlam, not only fail to condemn there use, but openly brag about using them.
Cannabis today is up to twelve times stronger than it was in the sixties and unlike cigarettes, cannabis joints do not have a filter built into them, therefore there is a higher chance of developing lung, throat or even cancer of the mouth. Scientific research as proven that cannabis use can cause short term memory loss, tiredness, lack of energy and even schizophrenia. So much for the cry that it is harmless!
The majority, if not all of the drugs scene in Northern Ireland is controlled by the paramilitaries from one side of the divide or the other. So much for their repeated claims that they are the protectors of their communities, when in reality they are the very people that are peddling these drugs to our children and poisoning them. On the other hand, most young people despise the paramilitaries, but then swell their war chests by purchasing drugs from these very same people.
At present there are on going discussions involving the Home Secretary David Blunkett, for the down grading of cannabis from a class B drug to a class C. The question is, will this be a fore- runner for eventually de-classifying cannabis and making its supply and possession totally legal? I hope not, for all our sakes, but only time will tell, especially when you take into consideration the so called experiment in Brixton, where Police appear to have basically agreed to turn a blind eye to the open use of cannabis.
There is a supposition within the law system that says "A law that is not enforced, is no law at all". Well, I for one strongly oppose any downgrading of any illegal drug. Furthermore, I am of the belief that the majority of the population are too. But I fear that the small vocal minority comprising of the Mo Mowlams of this world, shall be listened to and shall be granted their wish.
God help society if this does happen.
