Pubdate: Tue, 29 Feb 2000
Source: Times, The (UK)
Copyright: 2000 Times Newspapers Ltd
Contact:  PO Box 496, London E1 9XN, United Kingdom
Fax: +44-(0)171-782 5046
Website: http://www.the-times.co.uk/
Author: Stuart Goldman

USE OF HARD DRUGS

Sir, The report today by Helen Rumbelow does not merit its headline "Huge
rise in deaths from hard drug use".

As she reports, there were 38 cocaine-related deaths in 1997; those related
to Ecstasy have fallen to an average of 11 per year. These figures are
ludicrously low compared with alcohol and tobacco-related fatalities, and
young people know it.

Whilst I acknowledge the personal tragedies that these figures may
represent, in a population the size of the UK they are not statistically
significant.

Yours faithfully, STUART GOLDMAN, Flat 3, Wesley Court, 51-55 Weymouth
Street, W1N 3LE. February 25.
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