Pub] Date: Tue 24th June, 1997 Source: The Scotsman, Edinburgh, UK Contact: No simple solution to drugs problem Sir, In the United States, Southern Baptist bigots are boycotting Disney because of its "soft" attitude to the gay community. Those who dare to speak in opposition are dismissed as "communists" and "faggots". Here in Scotland, those who question the line taken by Scotland Against Drugs are ridiculed as "the chattering classes", the "mueslieating classes" and, most recently, as people who "peddle death". In a recent TV debate on drug issues, instigated by SAD, I was dismissed as the voice of legalisation, despite the fact that I had not proposed such a measure and have consistently argued against it for the past 25 years. At least four senior figures declined to take part in the programme because they feared their views would be distorted and their funding affected. The hallmarks of bigotry are its failure to hear opposing arguments, its bullying and hectoring, and use of inflammatory language. In a short period, SAD has transformed a war against drugs into a war between drug workers; and it has done so at enormous cost while a number of frontline services have been curtailed or closed down altogether. Since its inception, SAD has failed to engage in constructive debate; has derided the opinions of experienced practitioners; has failed to learn from previous massmedia campaigns; has ignored existing research and commissioned its own; and now has brought about a shameful and counterproductive war of words in a field which should have more urgent issues on its mind. There IS a war against drug use, but those who question the terms of engagement should not be seen as traitors. There is an area of middle ground between the trenches and the white feather where we can develop what has been found to be successful and learn from our mistakes. Harm reduction and abstinence are not mutually exclusive and one should be the stepping stone to the other. There is no single simple solution to the increasing use of drugs. Those who argue that longterm substitute prescribing (with drugs such as methadone) is the solution, are wrong. Those who argue for the wholesale legalisation of drugs are also wrong. But SAD is wrong, too, and it should be mature enough to admit it now and begin to explore ways of using its substantial resources more effectively if it is not to estrange itself even further from the majority of those working in the field. Rowdy Yates, Director, Scottish Drugs Training Project, University of Stirling, Stirling,