Commission at least for now. A very busy man, Mr. Brock will continue to serve until a suitable successor can be found.

We can only say that Bermuda is better off for that decision. Known as a good organiser and an energetic and straight-forward person, Mr. Brock has taken the National Drugs Commission forward at a time when it needed strong leadership.

As we see the job it is one of the most important in Bermuda. The Country's future depends on combatting drugs, especially the highly addictive cocaine and the resurgent heroin. It is no secret that a great deal of Bermuda's violence, both domestic and public, is associated with the abuse of drugs or alcohol. It is also accepted that much of the crime in Bermuda is drug related. That being the case, the way to success is to combat the use of the cause, drugs.

It is very important that the National Drugs Commission stay focused and that it not have an extended period of changeover between chairmen. When it was first formed shortly before the last election there was a very obvious division within the Commission and a great deal of debilitating in-fighting.

There were all sorts of reports that the Commission was being rendered ineffective for political purposes. Mr. Brock moved the Commission beyond that.

A great deal of time, as much as three years, was lost when the National Alcohol and Drug Agency was set aside and the National Drugs Commission was up and operating. That took place because Quinton Edness, who was then Minister of Health and Social Services, failed to understand the urgent need for continuity. The gap was far too long and counter-productive to a successful "war on drugs''.

Now that the National Drugs Commission is working well it is important that it should continue. Mr. Brock has a reputation for being one step removed from politics which has been a great asset and we believe that whoever succeeds him should have a similar reputation. That is why the appointment of a chairman requires consultation between the Premier and the Opposition Leader, so that the NDC does not become a political issue.

Drug abuse is an area where the entire community and people of all political persuasions should be able to cooperate. There are no boundaries to the use of drugs and there should be no boundaries in the commission itself or in the way the commission does its work.

If the commission becomes politicised once again it will be severely hampered and that would be a grave mistake. We do understand that there may be some difficulty in finding a chairman because it is a big job and a time consuming job and there are not a great many people who will be willing to serve.

However Bermuda has a long history of voluntary public service and leaders have a way of turning up.

It is vital that the community supports the commission and that it is seen as an unfettered agency dedicated to a job which is important to every person on the Island. It has two basic functions, to combat the use of drugs and to rehabilitate those who have fallen prey to drugs. That is one of the most important jobs in Bermuda today.