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Soho House Flushes Out the Toilet Drug-Takers
Pubdate: Tue, 18 Feb 2003
Source: Independent (UK)
Copyright: 2003 Independent Newspapers (UK) Ltd.
Contact: http://www.independent.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/209
Author: Louise Jury
SOHO HOUSE FLUSHES OUT THE TOILET DRUG-TAKERS
Soho House, the celebrity private members' club in London, has agreed
to remove flat surfaces from its toilets and operate a "one in, one
out" cubicle policy as part of a new anti-drugs code.
The measures were drawn up by Westminster City Council and the police
after the young daughter of the actors Jude Law and Sadie Frost
swallowed an ecstasy tablet at the club. The incident, which occurred
during a children's party, led to an investigation.
All members will be sent an annual letter spelling out a
zero-tolerance policy and staff will be trained on drug abuse issues.
The club - which is owned by Nicky Jones, the husband of Kirsty Young,
the Channel 5 news reader - will have to abide by 11 conditions,
including checking its lavatories every 15 minutes for evidence of
drug-taking.
Law was away filming when his wife, Sadie, took their daughter, Iris,
two, to a party at the club arranged by Danny Goffey, drummer with the
band Supergrass, for his own son. Iris was taken to hospital when she
was seen with a tablet in her mouth, which had apparently been dropped
on the floor the night before. She was unharmed.
Councillors agreed to renew the club's public entertainment licence,
due less than a month after the incident. But Ruth Clark, licensing
process manager for Westminster City Council, said the club had been
"comprehensively scrutinised" by the police, the licensing
inspectorate and the Environmental Health Service. She said a list of
conditions had been agreed with the operators of the premises and the
club would be closely monitored.
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