The Mastermind behind the modern drugs craze Rev 18:23. Drug abuse is nothing new. The measure to which they are abused and the number abusing them has greatly increased, however. Two things contribute to this increase. Firstly, science has made the range of drugs available to men much more extensive. Secondly, increased wealth has brought them within the reach of more people. A 17-year-old lad was recently admitted to Coleraine hospital suffering from a drugs overdose. He had purchased 4 ecstasy tablets and swallowed the four at once. They cost him ?80. The money factor indicates that money to purchase such drugs is readily available to many youngsters. Of course, where this money is not legitimately to hand then it will be obtained by criminal means. This is the explanation behind many of the assaults and robberies upon old people at the present time.