The verdict is out. Bermudians have to unite if they are going to win the war against drugs.

ZBM newscaster Ms Evelyn James-Barnett told the large crowd gathered at City Hall yesterday that they were witnessing the result of much hard work by the National Drug Commission (NDC) and Moment of Consciousness organisers.

NDC head Mr. Mansfield Brock said he felt many people did not understand that coming together to tackle the drugs problem was the purpose of the Moment and Drug Awareness Day.

Mr. Brock -- who along with Premier the Hon. David Saul quoted Dr. David Archibald, who proposed the establishment of the NDC in 1991 -- said he could not recall one previous instance of all Bermudians working together for one common goal and that would be the community's challenge from now on.

Dr. Archibald said: "Above all else the strong will and determination of all Bermudians will be required. When Bermudians as a whole -- all races, all political persuasions, all socio-economic groups -- realise that they are dealing with a problem that is national in scope, and say with their collective voices `We've had enough ! We're going to beat this problem !,' then, and only then, will the problem be brought under control.'' example.

Dr. Saul encouraged the community to focus on the problem and work together to solve it by taking a personal responsibility to find courage as an individual and act on it.

He said drugs were "equal opportunity predators'' which threatened everybody equally and because Government's most important mandate was to protect the health and well-being of the community, Government would lead by example.

"Only when all of us take up the battle cry, then will we have it licked.'' Deputy Premier the Hon. Jerome Dill said Bermuda needed unity if it was going "to make any progress in this war''.

Dr. Saul said he believed drug abuse was the biggest challenge faced throughout the world but that Bermuda was in a position to eradicate the problem because of its size, geographic isolation and the education and travelling experience of its people.

Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade agreed and asked everyone for their help to save the community so it could continue to produce excellent people who could do excellent things.

He told the crowd: "I want us to end the phony war against drugs and start the real battle. Everyone should commit themselves to some form of action aimed at eradicating drugs from our community.'' "And we must develop an attitude towards these people who would destroy our people by selling drugs and treat them as the lepers in our community.'' Guest motivational speaker Mr. Arthur Andrews told Bermudians: "The mark of greatness is upon you. You can not be limited by the short-sightedness of others. You can if you think you can.'' He said what counted now was not what was happening to Bermuda but how the Island reacted to it.

People in general felt it was not easy to deal with change and complained that life was "so hard''. He asked what they were comparing it to and had they considered the alternative? There was a four-step programme Bermudians should follow if they wanted to succeed.

They had to decide what they wanted to be, take the necessary action to achieve their goals, avoid negative people and be willing to change by making "a commitment to do whatever it takes''.

Mr. Andrews stressed that "the power was in the Moment'' because "yesterday was over'' and asked people to remember "our children are carbon copies of us''.

Dr. Saul asked: "Looking at the little children below me, how can we even think of failure?'' The Mayor of Hamilton, the Rt. Wor. William Boyle said the moment was a very special occasion which could either make the day "pivotal'' or another event which resulted in no changes.

The NDC's chief executive officer Mrs. Eugenie Simmons added that people would have to respond to the Moment and take their commitment very seriously because although Bermudians no longer tolerated the drug menace nothing would happen without support.

"Just as the march of a thousand miles begins with a single step so the campaign against drugs begins with a single moment.'' Mr. Boyle said the effects of drugs were a "serious concern'' with the rise of drug-related crime and "the scourge of substance abuse'' which required "every law-abiding person to fight''.

He appealed to those listening to help substance abuse sufferers and to help the Police fight drug dealers and suppliers.

Dr. Saul said there would be a four-pronged attack introduced which would include the education of the whole community; supporting organisations which were working to prevent the problem; treatment of drug users, and enforcement of the law by working with the Police.

Mr. Boyle said he could see the effects drugs were having on Hamilton and hoped the occasion would "prick your conscience'' and encourage people to solve the problem and make the "Moment last forever''.

Mrs. James-Barnett reminded those present that Bermuda may be a "paradise island but even Eden had a serpent'', a feeling echoed by Salvation Army's Major Mervin Leach who said "for evil to prevail all it takes is good people to do nothing''.

Mr. Brock said the NDC had notified Parent Teacher Associations, sporting clubs, businesses, unions, and other organisations but he was now calling upon individuals to support the fight against drugs.

Schools, businesses, stores and hotels around the Island were observing the Moment so "even if you seem to be standing alone'' there were over 30,000 others who had already pledged support, said Ms James-Barnett.

She explained that some people would be strategists, some would work in maintenance, some would help raise "flagging spirits'' and others would take the front line in the war against drugs.

Recovering drug addicts Mr. Dennis Steede and Mr. Richard Lewis echoed the dignitaries in their testimonials.

Mr. Steede said Bermudians were all at fault for the Island's drug problem because it had taken "all this time to see the problem'' and they will have to work together to beat the menace if they are to succeed.

Mr. Lewis said follow up programmes were something the Island really needed because the treatment was not the most important thing, "it is what you do after that counts''.

Mr. Steede said members of the public pointed the finger of blame in many different directions when they asked themselves whose fault the drug problem was but it was not just the drug supplier, courier or dealer.

Mr. Steede said he hoped his words would not fall on deaf ears and that people "who had not experienced drugs would think before they act''.

"Drugs will destroy you like they destroyed me.'' He added "I know what I am talking about because I have been in the battlefield'' and stressed that he "struggled'' against his drug addiction every day. He appealed to people to show they cared and stressed how good it was for him to stand and tell the youth "don't worry with it''.

"What is right will never be wrong.'' Mr. Brock said one way to help was to join the Parents Resource Institute for Drug Education which had two programmes under way -- Parent to Parent and Youth to Youth.

In the first, parents were taught how to keep their children away from drugs and the second showed children how to have fun in a drug-free environment.

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