"hard'' drugs, a visiting expert has claimed.

Drug counsellor Mr. Paul Dromazos said it was wrong to say users of hard drugs like cocaine were more "disturbed'' than marijuana users.

He admitted that consequences for addiction could be worse with hard drugs.

But he said: "I have seen many people using marijuana who were deeply disturbed human beings. It is not true that if the drug isn't as harmful, you are not as bad off.'' Mr. Dromazos, who has been vacationing in Bermuda for 26 years, used to run a drug project in Albany, New York. He is now retired, but still counsels privately.

He said he has discussed Bermuda's drug problem informally with Health Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness.

Mr. Dromazos' statements come after an admission by the Minister that he is worried about widespread marijuana use among young people. Mr. Edness said many youngsters had told him they did not believe the drug was harmful.

Mr. Dromazos said: "It's possible to use marijuana and not be in big trouble, but eventually it erodes motivation and ultimately tends to affect the personality. It's psychologically harmful.

"If you smoke it once every six months it would be ridiculous for me to say it's harmful. But if you smoked it weekly I would be concerned.

"Marijuana is worse than smoking cigarettes in the sense that it's more damaging to your lungs. You don't have to smoke a pack of joints to do phenomenal damage to your lungs.

"One or two joints is as bad as a pack of cigarettes, I believe I was once told by medical people.'' Mr. Dromazos admitted he was finding it difficult to give up smoking tobacco.

"I'm not going to defend smoking. That's an addictive thing as well.'' Scientists were still waiting for long term studies on marijuana, he said, and it was difficult to get statistics. But apart from certain uses under medical supervision, there was "nothing good to be said about it''.

So-called "acceptable'' drugs like Valium and marijuana did more damage overall, he said.

Mr. Dromazos said Bermuda now seemed to be better placed to fight drugs.

"What is obvious as you come here over the years is seeing how drugs have encroached on the culture and affected even the work ethic and education system, and the phenomenal economic waste.

"Worst of all is the degree of human suffering that you see exists here. "I was talking to Quinton Edness the other day. I believe, as I listened to his conversation, that the Island seems to be now moving in a more positive direction and there's a greater awareness. There's a greater acceptance of the degree of the problem.

"You know you need to do more. More and more groups are becoming aware of it.'' Bermuda needed to train teachers to be more aware of the emotional needs of pupils, and look for warning signs like poor attendance and illness.

"I also think a lot of work has to happen in parenting. There are a lot of children that are left alone for too long.

"You need to be more aware of what's happening in your population. People cry out in different ways.'' Until 1987 Mr. Dromazos was clinical director of a project that worked on the theory that most drug use is a result of emotional problems. This meant clients hardly ever discussed drugs, concentrating instead on their feelings.

"Drugs are surrogates,'' he said. "We try to free ourselves in our adolescent years, and if we take a drug it then becomes another parent. But this parent doesn't take good care of us.

"If you're on drugs you are not in control of your life. Someone else is in control. People who are using drugs are in some degree of emotional difficulties.'' Project workers persuaded their local courts to send young drug users for counselling instead of jailing them or giving severe fines. Hard core users who were physically addicted were sent for medical treatment.

Mr. Dromazos says up to 90 percent of clients willingly stayed in counselling.

About 85 percent of those people ended up quitting drugs.

Mr. Paul Dromazos.