Figures from the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction reveal that although the number of drug-related deaths in the European Union is stabilising and even falling, in Ireland it is increasing. Ireland has the highest rate of drug-related deaths in the European Union. It is possible that this apparent increase in number is due to under-reporting in the past, and that different methods used to record data may be responsible for the wide divergence among various countries. Cannabis is the most frequently used illegal drug. Yet another study revealed that the average age for pupils in Dublin to start experimenting with cannabis is 12 years.
Japan focuses on the disabled.
Legislation is being drawn in Japan to create a barrier-free society. The proposed bill includes public education campaigns to increase awareness of the problems faced by the elderly and the disabled, and tax incentives for private companies to improve wheel-chair access. The bill is expected to be submitted to parliament by late spring. The Transport Ministry is also preparing separate legislation to mandate rail and bus companies to ensure that new stations and terminals are fitted with elevators, braille signs, and textured flooring to guide the visually impaired. This represents a significant change in Japan where until recently many families were so embarrassed by their disabled relatives that they rarely let them out of the house.