heartening news; use and abuse of all substances is down compared to the last time a survey of adults was conducted in 1995.

This is good news for Bermuda and helps to put into context much of the daily diet of news about drug abuse which can give the onlooker the feeling that the Island is losing the so-called war on drugs.

The old truism that there are lies, damned lies and statistics holds as true for these results as ever. The fact that abuse is down does not mean that the problem has gone away.

Every survey contains a margin of error. This is especially true for drugs -- on such a sensitive issue, it is likely that some people will lie about using illegal substances or about the frequency of their use. Indeed, drug addicts are among the most convincing liars around.

Nonetheless, the downward trend shows that progress is being made and the availability of hard facts as opposed to anecdotal evidence is crucial for setting sound policies.

The NDC results reveal that 7.5 percent, or 3,400 people, of the adult population used marijuana in the month before the survey was conducted, compared to 10.8 percent or 4,900 in 1995.

This puts the lie to the decriminalisation lobby's claims that as many as 10,000 people are regular users.

What is worrying is that the rate of heroin abuse has increased, even though the numbers are low in statistical terms. Nonetheless, the fact that use of this highly addictive drug is increasing is worrying because it is so dangerous, both mentally and physically. If heroin addicts will do almost anything for a fix, an increase in its use means that an increase in crime is likely too.

The fact that 56 percent of adults drank alcohol in the previous month is strangely comforting -- many would have thought that the number would be higher.

Nonetheless, alcohol, taken in immoderation, can be a highly destructive substance, not only to the user but to family members, work colleagues and others.

The NDC's call for a public policy on both alcohol is long overdue and Bermuda needs a similar policy on tobacco. Both are public health issues and a debate on limiting publicity and availability, especially to under-age buyers, is needed.

Proposals by the NDC's predecessor -- the National Agency on Drugs and Alcohol -- for limiting the sale of alcohol fell on deaf ears under the previous Government. The NDC could do worse than to brush the dust off those ideas and to pursue them.

There is some irony in the fact that on the same day that the NDC released its results, it was revealed that students aged 12 and 13 had been suspended from school for drinking alcohol and that a week earlier, a graduating student at another school was caught using marijuana.

While NDC director Dr. Derrick Binns was right to say that awareness programmes are having an effect, it is also clear that there is still much work to be done among young and old alike.