United Bermuda Party MP Tim Smith yesterday brushed aside demands that he name the football and cricket clubs which he claimed were benefitting from drug dealing on their premises.

Sports clubs reacted with anger to the allegation made by the former Sports Minister in the House of Assembly on Friday.

And Sports Minister Dennis Lister yesterday joined the attack on Mr. Smith, accusing him of making "disgraceful and irresponsible'' comments which taint all clubs.

He supported club officials who on Sunday called on Mr. Smith to name the clubs he believes are involved in the illegal trade if he has any evidence.

Mr. Smith told MPs that club organisors and trustees should be hauled before the courts for allowing their grounds to be used for drug dealing and said existing legislation could be used to confiscate the grounds if there is proof club officials know of the illicit trade.

Mr. Lister said the same legislation existed under the previous government but was not used.

Mr Lister told The Royal Gazette yesterday: "For him to make those comments is totally disgraceful and irresponsible in that Tim Smith was a former Minister of Youth and Sport, and as a Minister, he knows the level of contribution the clubs make to the community by providing sporting and recreational outlets.

"Yes, there is a drug problem in our community, and as drugs affect our community, they also affect sports clubs and their facilities. These clubs are suffering like the community as a result of drugs, and suffering in no way implies they are benefitting from drugs at their facilities.

"If he has any contrary information to that to prove that executive members or clubs are benefiting from the direct sale of drugs, then as a Member of Parliament it is incumbent on him to come forward with such evidence to the Police rather than making open-ended statements that blanket all sports clubs.

It is irresponsible and unacceptable.

"As a former Minister I am sure he is aware, as I am now aware as Minister, of the ongoing concerns the clubs have of drug activities around their facilities.

"I have had a number of meetings with them and that's one of the first things they expressed, and I am sure the same expressions were made to him as Sports Minister. I, as a member of the public, did not see anything done to prevent the sale of drugs under his government.

Mr. Smith remained unrepentant yesterday. He said: "I am surprised that the Minister has taken the tack he has.

"Parents and grandparents have said to me that they will not take their children to certain sports events because of the open air drug dealing and consumption of drugs.

"I too am a parent who does not wish to expose his child to this environment.

I challenged the sports clubs to commit to eradicating drugs on their premises.

"More importantly, I challenged the PLP Government to avail themselves of the legislation that might be the best weapon in the fight against drugs; that is, the confiscation of assets if it can be proven that the sports clubs were benefitting.

"Instead of taking me up on the challenge, the Minister resorts to standard PLP Government response of saying what was under the UBP Government.

"People want to know what he and his Government intend to do about drugs in sport. He says he has a vision for sport in Bermuda but, unfortunately, it looks like he only sees it in his rear view mirror.'' The Bermuda Council for a Drug Free Sport yesterday joined the controversy, saying one of its objectives was to help develop a drug-free environment in sport.

The Council said since drug testing was introduced on Bermuda's national athletes in 1998, there had been a reduction from three percent positive tests in 1998 to 0.8 percent last year.

"The BCDS would like to clarify that it is very important to identify the differences that exist between athlete behaviour and spectator behaviour,'' said a BCDS statement.