The Island needs an independent drug office and more police and customs enforcement to stem the Island's drug 'crisis', according to the former Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs.

Wayne Perinchief, a PLP backbencher and former head of the National Drug Commission, spoke during a debate on the National Drug Control Master and Action Plan in the House.

The Department for National Drug Control (DNDC) 2007-2011 Master Plan and Action Plan was released last December.

In March and April they held their first public forum to discuss principles for drug prevention.

In another news conference this week, Minister of Social Rehabilitation Dale Butler announced further forums as part of their 'Stand Up' initiative.

Last night Mr. Perinchief, who retired from the Police Service at the second highest rank of Assistant Commissioner, said he welcomed the plans, but said more needed to be done to maintain a continuity with the organisation charged with the Island's drug problems and an increase in enforcement.

He said: "There are three pillars to the economy — international business, tourism and the drug trade. We see the focus shift from hard-line interdiction to the symptoms of the problem.

"Certainly we need a balanced way to approach drugs, but I think that alone is a very bad and ineffective way to approach drugs. Interdiction must be increased by the rate and speed so our own supply is cut off.

"Customs has always been a revenue thing and there has been a decrease in interdiction in drugs from our ports. It's not due to any shift to courier services.

"It just means they are getting more in courier and in cruise ships. When we replace customs officers with powers with security officers with no powers we will get a predictable result.

"If you are picking up more drugs on the street it means we are not picking them up when they come into the Island."

As the former head of the former National Drug Commission, which was created under the UBP, Mr. Perinchief said he also wanted to see the organisation move away from the day to day politics.

He said: "You see politics has the effect of alternating and changing or mitigating a plan.

"In order to keep away from the politicians and the changes of government over time the organisation must stand alone and unattached and unimpeded by day to day politics.

"What it has lost is it's autonomy. It has lost its ability to stand alone and make policy.

"This is not to take away from the plans the government are making. The issue of drugs and crime and they always go together have become somewhat obfuscated."

Mr. Perinchief did continue on to say he thought it was a very useful report and much could be done with the "working" document in the future.

Ashfield DeVent said he was also worried about the enforcement issue because the public was too worried about calling the Police.

Drawing on where he lives and his recent return to court reporting, Mr. DeVent also warned that drugs needed to be the big conversation or could overtake the Island.

He said: "This could be the next big conversation that this country needs to have. There was a time when the cruise ships stopped and the drugs would stop.

"Now it has changed. We are on a very slippery slope. One of the challenges was the reluctance of the public to call the Police.

"It must come from fear. The drug houses where I talk to the people who live in the areas and they are afraid to call police anymore. Maybe the police need to rethink how they approach it.

"These are things we have to consider."