Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)

Last week the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, issued a press release on drugs in which he stated that one chooses whether to take drugs. He specified the notion of informed choices. Are we as legislators, educators and parents, informing young people of the dangers of drugs? Do we give them the information adequate to making informed choices?

According to an article on the front page of today's Irish Independent, 300,000 people aged 16 to 24 dabble in cannabis. That is a red alert. Extensive research in San Francisco and Scandinavia shows that 10% of these people will be prone to develop schizophrenia. That amounts to 30,000 young people.

I call for the Seanad, in its final year under the present mandate, to have a debate next autumn on drug abuse and to pose questions about information anomalies. The onus is on us to do that.

I spoke to the international president of Europe Against Drugs, Grainne Kenny, this morning. The Leader is acquainted with her through her ministerial role in a previous life. Ms Kenny issued a personal plea through me to the Leader to consider holding a national conference on drug awareness and the dangers of drug abuse. She will contact the Leader personally but we should use this House to highlight the dangers of drug abuse and protect those who take drugs.