In the first of a new series, entitled Soapbox, the Rev Brian Stevenson, of St Silas Church, Blackburn, talks about the problems of drug abuse in our society.

THE Lancashire Evening Telegraph, along with Blackburn Rovers Football Club, is to be thanked for co-sponsoring the recent Seminar at Ewood Park organised by the Diocese of Blackburn and the Lancashire Council of Mosques on 'Drug Misuse: a Faith Perspective.'

Not only was there a great cross-section of representatives from the Christian, Muslim, and indeed other faiths, but of leaders in local government, health and education.

It was good, in particular, to hear about the current 'drug scene' from the Government's UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator, Keith Hellawell, as well as the important faith input from Father Jim McCartney and Mr Ilyas Foy, chairman of the Muslim Action Against Drugs.

It was a very useful public relations event in that, under the banner of 'bridge-building' between Christians and Muslims. We were reminded - if indeed anyone needed reminding - that we have in all our communities, a massive problem.

The problem is all the more massive when, as Mr Hellawell told us, no city, town, village or family, is immune from the mis-use of drugs. Every right-thinking person in the land must worry about this evil in our midst. As grandfather of three teenage grandsons I worry that they will keep clear of drugs; as a parish priest I look at all the children and worry as to how many among them will have, in a matter of a few years, fallen into the snare of the drugs trap. Everyone at the seminar was left with the question: where do we go from here?

Unless the seminar leads to positive action (and that is easier said than done) it will be perceived by the general public as yet another 'PR' exercise to be taken with a huge dose of cynicism.

Individually, of course, we all feel impotent and helpless against the tide of drugs which brings with it the sickening list of robberies, violence, and the horrific kinds of murders we have had in Blackburn, Blackpool, Bolton, Manchester, Liverpool and wherever the scourge has shown itself. When I became a magistrate in 1966 serving the then Padiham and Reedley courts, we dealt with mostly 'petty' crime. Now, as this newspaper reports daily, we read and hear about sheer thuggery and gratuitous violence, especially against the elderly and, of course, the almost daily murder.

Apart from a few questions from the floor at the seminar, there was no time to debate the subject in depth or to raise issues inter-linked with the drug culture. I believe there are two in particular; money and a lack of self-discipline, for we need to realise that in the lifetime of some of us there has been nothing less than a revolution in both aspects.

Younger people, including those who are now parents of teenagers, do not know that there is an availability of money denied to previous generations. There is also, incidentally, a sad attitude of greed among people generally; no-one, it seems, is ever satisfied. Whatever people say, nobody in our country suffers from abject poverty as experienced in the earlier part of the century.

Yes, some are poorer than others and find it difficult to make ends meet, and yet, even the poorest can evidently manage the price of a lottery ticket.

It is the ready availability of money among young people along with the leisure scene that is part of the problem; easy access to alcohol and ultimately to drugs. Pub landlords used to call time at 10.30pm. Now, young people go out at the time when my generation had to be in by!

I believe the current 'clubbing' scene has a lot to answer for, and the one person at the Seminar who could have some influence, is Mr Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, for it is successive governments that have allowed this situation to develop under the banner of personal freedom. When one thinks of clubbing until 2am it could be rightly said that 'They can't be up to much good at that time in the morning!' Indeed, it is in the early hours when the drugs are being circulated.

The other important consideration is the general lack of self-discipline: the inability to say 'NO' to drugs. The two faith speakers at the Seminar highlighted this in that if people were true to the teaching of their respective faiths, there would be the resulting degree of righteous living. It is quite obvious that indiscipline or lack of self-control are among the main causes of the ills in our society today. What, then, can be done? Locally, all of us must admire the valiant efforts of Father Jim McCartney and the THOMAS (Those on the Margins of Society) Project in Blackburn through which he helps homeless young people and tries to wean drug addicts off their habits. Some of us in the local churches try to help with Harvest gifts and the occasional donation, but while such gestures are appreciated, they are but a pathetic attempt in the desire to 'do something.'

The best way has to be in following the old adage that 'prevention is better than cure;' and this is where the role of parents comes in. They simply must try to do more, even though they feel helpless at times, and in this huge task they must be supported by church, mosque, school and by any of the agencies which are willing and able to help.We can help parents to encourage their children to learn that the way to avoid personal disaster and the possibility of an early death is contained in the word 'NO'.

I still believe that positive action against drugs can begin with the determination of every parent that children shall not be sacrificed on this evil altar. Some parents, sadly, will fail: hopefully, many others will have cause to rejoice.

DO you feel strongly enough about an issue to get up on your soapbox and tell the whole of East Lancashire about it? Soapbox is a new column in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph giving people the chance to do just that.

If you want to highlight an issue close to your heart then write an article of no more than 800 words and send it to: Soapbox, c/o newsdesk, Lancashire Evening Telegraph, High Street, Blackburn BB1 1HT.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.