Drugs crisis organisation call for decriminalisation of drug use

A drugs crisis organisation is urging the Government to treat drug use as a health issue instead of a criminal one.

The Citywide Campaign group are holding a conference in Dublin today, looking at alternatives to our current drugs policies.

Among the suggestions being discussed will be the decriminalisation of addiction, but spokesperson for Citywide Anna Quigley said that is not the same as ignoring crimes committed by drugs users.

"This is not saying that anyone who does something criminal as a result of their drug use should be let off," she said.

"When we talk about decriminalisation what we mean is that use of the drug in itself shouldn't be a criminal offense because the evidence shows us that treating drug use in itself as a health issues is more effective than treating it as a criminal issue

"But obviously if a person goes on to commit a criminal offense they do have to be held responsible."