WHENEVER there is an horrific spree killing of apparent strangers, as there was in Reading last weekend, people are very quick to ask whether it was ‘terrorism’.
They are far slower to ask what contribution the abuse of cannabis and other illegal drugs played in producing the irrational state of mind of the perpetrator.
These irrational spree killings stand in stark contrast to the carefully planned bombings and organised terror of the Provisional IRA during the Troubles, and similar acts by other terrorist groups.
A landmark meta-study by academics at Montreal University, which gathered the results of 30 previous studies on the links between cannabis abuse and violence among teens and adults under thirty, found that users were more than twice as likely to have committed a violent crime.
Among ‘persistent heavy users’ the risk was nearly three times that of non-users.
If the authorities continue to ignore the contribution of drug abuse to causing these horrible deeds, they will continue to fail to prevent them.
OTTO INGLIS,
Ansonhill,
Crossgates.
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