Letter: Dud pills to turn kids off Ecstasy

From Mr Martyn Thatcher

Sir: A practical way to fight the problems of Ecstasy would be for the Government to manufacture identical but harmless tablets and put them into circulation with appropriate publicity.

The economics and logistics do not matter, they can be sold on the streets for the same as the real ones even, unknowingly, by the same pushers.

If a child is daft enough to spend good money and pop a tablet, wouldn't you rather there was a 50 per cent chance it was a fake and, eventually, what teenager is going to pay pounds 10 if there is every chance the tablet will be a dud?

The result must be the devaluation of the whole business, not perhaps very subtle, but surely without risk.

Yours,

Martyn Thatcher

Shawbury,

Shropshire

23 November