Sir, - We in Community Awareness of Drugs oppose totally the idea of setting up "ecstasy" testing equipment in Irish night clubs or anywhere else for that matter. We refer to the interview with Mr Dillon Trump of Easy Test Ecstasy (Britain) on Morning Ireland (May 29th). Mr Trump's Testing Equipment cannot make the use of "ecstasy" safe. There is no safe dose of "ecstasy".
1. At the moment in Ireland and elsewhere, a disturbing pattern is developing. A growing number of young people, with no previous history of mental illness, are presenting at psychological/psychiatric services, due to the use of "ecstasy". A leading authority on drugs in this country has predicted that psychiatric services will have great difficulty coping with unprecedented levels over the coming years. Allowing testing equipment would undoubtedly facilitate the further development of this most distressing illness.
2. "Ecstasy" is a controlled drug. Except in very restricted circumstances, the possession of a controlled drug is an offence. Surely the person handling the controlled drug, in order to carry out the test, must also be guilty of an offence?
During the course of the interview on Morning Ireland, Mr Trump remarked that he had checked with the British Home Office and he was not committing an offence by selling the testing equipment in the UK. What is the situation in Ireland? Mr Trump is apparently looking for Irish distributors and was given access to our airwaves to do so. While RTE provided, by way of balance, the opposing views of the UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator Mr Keith Hellawell, it is simply not good enough. With all due respect, Mr Trump should be asked to take his drug testing business elsewhere. This matter must be investigated by the relevant authorities now. - Yours, etc., Bernie McDonnell, Chairperson/co-ordinator, Community Awareness of Drugs,
Central Hotel Chambers, Dame Court, Dublin 2.