chairman of the interim steering committee of the National Drug Authority stressed yesterday.

"Alcoholism and drug abuse has the potential to destroy our fragile community,'' Mr. Alastair Macdonald told Rotarians at their weekly luncheon at The Princess.

Highlighting the scope of the problem which he said affects the entire community indirectly, Mr. Macdonald noted that about 10 percent of the Island's population is addicted to alcohol or illicit drugs.

Assuming that each of those persons has at least two immediate family members, he said that would mean already up to 30 percent of the population is being directly affected.

Mr. Macdonald noted that Government consultant Dr. David Archibald, who recommended a National Drug Authority be set up, estimated that the illicit drug economy in Bermuda is at least $67 million a year.

And he said probably about 15 percent of the population is affected directly or indirectly by drug-related crimes, adding that this could bring the number of those directly affected by drug abuse up to 45 percent.

But the banker, who recently took up his post on the interim steering committee, is optimistic that the committee with the help of the entire community can handle Bermuda's drug abuse problem.

"We have a great opportunity to deal with this problem,'' he said. "But it's going to take a very, very different approach from the approaches that we have been taking up until now.'' Mr. Macdonald said while he is grateful for Dr. Archibald's two reports, Bermuda cannot just depend on "outside experts to solve this problem'' He said for this reason Dr. Archibald recommended the creation of the National Drug Authority.

The interim steering committee, which was appointed by a consensus of all three political parties and reflects a cross section of the community, pulls together all of the people on the Island to work toward dealing with this problem, he said.

Since its appointment earlier this month, the committee has begun drafting a mission statement of its purpose and principles by which it will operate. The statement is expected to be released shortly.

The committee has also formed task forces which will be headed by committee members and include "thousands'' of others from the community.

These include: Youth Advisory Committee: Finance and Budgeting task force; Community Development task force; Medical Insurance task force; Treatment Rehabilitation and After Care task force; Criminal Justice and Interdiction task force; Programmes in School task force; a Research task force; and a Family task force.

Mr. Macdonald said while some of the task forces will be ongoing, he would like to see the one dealing with medical insurance coverage (for recovering addicts) in place by the beginning of April next year, and drug abuse programmes in all levels of the school system by next September.

He said he also hopes the Criminal Justice and Interdiction task force will work closely with the newly-created seven-member team which is reviewing Bermuda's Criminal Justice system.

DEALING WITH BERMUDA'S DRUG PROBLEM -- Chairman of the National Drug Authority's interim steering committee Mr. Alastair Macdonald is calling for the community to deal with Bermuda's drug abuse problem.