politicians are when they talk about doing something about drug abuse, including the drug alcohol. We had some tough things to say about Government and its intentions and the way it dealt with NADA, the National Alcohol and Drug Agency.

We also have some pretty tough things to say about the Opposition Progressive Labour Party and its response to the drug problem.

Polls show that Bermudians consider drugs the Country's Number One Problem, yet the only constant response from politicians seems to be mouth.

First, the Progressive Labour Party refused to join any bi-partisan effort against drugs by cooperating with Dr. David Archibald and his Drug Strategy Team. The PLP seemed to think that it might make some decent suggestions which could benefit the Country but it might not get credit, heaven forbid it should help Bermuda for free. True, a few PLP members did join the drug strategy team but the party as a party did not. The excuses were flimsy at best. The refusal to join Dr. Archibald's team was a mistake but we recognise that the party was split on the issue. The refusal to help with drugs did, however, indicate just how narrow the PLP is because it made plain for the Country that the PLP is not prepared to tackle the drug problem, nor prepared to help others combat drugs unless there is political gain for the PLP. Thus the PLP is dedicated entirely to scoring political points even if they are scored at the expense of addicts who cross every social, political and economic boundary. The PLP's refusal to serve with Dr. Archibald was so insensitive to the needs of Bermuda that we thought the PLP must have seen itself in need of the votes of drug pushers.

Then, to cover its blunder, the PLP announced, defensively, that it would produce its own drugs report. It has never presented such a report to the public but we believe that it did produce a report which was so poor that it was never presented because it could not stand public scrutiny.

Now the PLP constantly carps about the suggested appointments to the proposed new National Drugs Authority. Having refused to take part in the process which agreed to create the Authority, the PLP began to feel left out of the process and agreed to take part in the appointments to the Authority. We know that it had to be poked, prodded and dragged into submitting names for that Authority which can only be seen by us as another attempt to delay solutions in order to use drugs as a political weapon.

Senator Alex Scott had the gall to tell the Senate this week that "contrary to the spirit of the Archibald report, to date the highest office in Government has not been providing full-blooded cooperation''. The PLP which has provided virtually no cooperation at all thus demonstrates that it is bent on playing politics with drugs.

Then the PLP indicates its complete contempt for the National Drugs Authority and for Bermuda by suggesting the name of Dr. Vincent Bridgewater as a member of the interim authority.

If that is as serious as the PLP intends to be about something as dangerous as drugs, we can only suggest that Bermuda get on with the National Drug Authority and ignore the PLP. If they cannot demonstrate the maturity needed to even join the Authority, then they will only destroy it once they are included.