Changes in drug Bill circulated

The Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, is circulating amendments to the Licensing (Combating Drug Abuse) Bill. Under the amendments, licence holders in a public house or dance hall can be warned by gardai of the suspicion of drug abuse on their premises and given the opportunity to take preventive action. Where the licence holder fails to respond to the warning, the gardai will be entitled to apply to a court to have the licence revoked or suspended.