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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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EU report shows drugs problem is growing
The Examiner (Ireland) Saturday 08 Nov 1997 IT might have been generally presumed that the garda were coming to grips with the illicit drugs problem in this country, given the level of consignments captured and confiscated in recent years. They may well be containing the problem, as they believe, but it would seem that the issue of drugs is still a huge problem here and one which must be dealt with increasing vigilance. According to a report this week from the EU's Lisbon-based drugs monitoring agency, this country is facing one of the most serious drugs crises in the European Community. It would appear that the extent of drug use among Irish teenagers is unrivalled on the Continent, and that is something which should give us all thought for very serious consideration. It may be pointed out that while the results were released this week, the survey is possibly more than 12 months old, but that is irrelevant because according to at least one garda source the contents of the report were nothing new to them. This would infer that, what was true when the survey was undertaken, is still true today. The results of that report make for very depressing reading, but those results are supported by EURAD (Europe Against Drugs) which is an independent, voluntary agency. According to the EU report Ireland is one of only a handful of European countries where drug abuse among schoolgoers was on the increase. As well, the number of addicts under-25 undergoing treatment was more than double the EU average. Although the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has described the report as "alarming," it doesn't come as any great surprise to our garda, and that should make us all pause to consider whether enough resources and initiatives are being invested in tackling this insidious problem. To put in perspective the problem, it is sufficient to consider that less than ten years ago there were just eight deaths in this country directly attributed to poisoning from drug abuse. In 1995, that figure had risen to 49. During the same period the seizures of all drugs in Ireland increased significantly, which points obviously to the fact that our law enforcement agencies are doing their very best, but to put a halter on this particularly nefarious problem, substantially more effort and resources need to be poured into containing it. What needs to be realised, as a result of the survey, is that we cannot be complacent about the intrusion of this gnawing problem in our society and to understand that it afflicts all classes. No section of society is immune from it.
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