private sector has worried creators of the National Drug Commission.

There was "a potential for conflict of interest'', because the Commission was hoping to go after private money as well, interim steering committee chairman Mr. Alastair Macdonald said yesterday.

He wanted the groups to put off their five-year drive until the Commission was off the ground and ready to take part.

But he assured the groups he would not stand in their way.

The head of the fundraising committee, however, said the six charitable organisations involved could not wait any longer.

One of the organisations, Fair Havens residential rehabilitation centre for women, was in danger of closing down if it did not get more money soon, Mrs.

Katherine Watson said.

Mr. Macdonald said: "The drive makes me feel uncomfortable. It may prove to be difficult in the future for us to go out and fund raise.'' Government's offer of $1.2 million a year was a "good start'', he said, but would not be enough to fund the treatment programmes the interim steering committee had planned.

Once the Commission was up and running, it planned a major fundraising drive involving all local anti-drugs groups.

The idea was for all those groups to come under the roof of the National Drug Commission and work together out of a central office to fight substance abuse, he said.

Mr. Macdonald said he realised the six "major and very worthwhile'' anti-drug organisations involved in the fundraising initiative needed money now. And he did not want to stand in their way.

But he said: "A three to six month wait before starting the drive, under the National Drug Commission, would not cause huge problems for (the charities).'' The six organisations involved in the five-year drive are: the Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Fair Havens drug rehab for women, PRIDE, Focus, Lions Quest (a school drug education programme and Listen-Businesses Against Drugs.

Mr. Macdonald said the Commission steering committee was not quite ready now to start a major fundraising drive with the other anti-drugs groups.

Among other things on their agenda, they still had to plan what treatment programmes to go with and how much they would cost, he said.

Though he was not comfortable with the drive, Mr. Macdonald did not think Bermuda's roughly two dozen anti-drugs groups were all against coming under the Commission one day.

"Most look forward to our help and assistance and working together,'' he said. "Although there are always a few organisations that want to go off and do their own thing.'' Mrs. Watson confirmed the six groups her fundraising committee represented were "more than happy'' to be under the Commission's umbrella and work with Government.

But they needed money now and could not wait as long as six months. "We would end up having to close down Fair Havens,'' she said. "It can't wait six months. It has high running costs -- there are women in it now and they are all being treated.'' The drive was set to take off at the start of next year, with a few initial fundraising efforts over the next two months, she said.

The fundraising committee was currently looking over a study conducted this year to determine how much money was available in the community and business world.

Once it had finished looking at the study, it would come up with a target figure, she said.

Mr. Macdonald said discussions would continue with the six organisations in the hopes of reaching an amicable resolution.