alcohol.

Bus drivers and others in the public transportation industry should be tested for drugs on a mandatory basis.

And Police should have the power to test anyone involved in a road accident for drugs -- in the same manner motorists are tested for alcohol consumption via the alco-analyser. Those who tested positive would also be liable to lose their drivers licence.

The suggestions were made by Health and Social Services Minister the Hon.

Quinton Edness during the debate over the National Drug Commission Act 1993 in the House of Assembly yesterday.

He revealed it had been estimated that one in four workers in Bermuda had some degree of alcohol or drug problem -- 25 percent of the workforce.

An anti-drugs policy should be set up in all workplaces to combat the problem, he said.

Companies should inform workers that drug and alcohol abuse would not be tolerated on the job -- or off.

And management should have the right to call upon and confront any employee suspected of having a substance abuse problem.

He felt such a policy would cause a lot of people to react and consequently reduce the demand for drugs and alcohol.

The evidence was fairly obvious when a person was abusing drugs or alcohol, he said.

Managers only need look at an employee's absentee rate and the number of times they have asked for an advance and borrowed money from colleagues.

He believed that if the employee was confronted in a caring manner, they would admit their problem and agree to get help. The company must then be prepared to assist them, he said.

He added: "We have to make the abuse of drugs offensive in our society. "We need to put it into law that Police can test for drugs at the point of an accident. If a person felt that drug use might affect their (drivers) licence they might think it was not worth it to do drugs.

"There are many people out there now who refuse to drink at night because they think it is not worth losing their drivers licence over.'' Mr. Edness further suggested bus drivers and others who drive members of the public should be tested for drugs on a mandatory basis. He felt taxi drivers could be exempt from the testing as there did not seem to be a high incidence of accidents among them.