Recreational users warned about mixing drugs
The comments follow the death in Kinsale, Co Cork, last weekend of two young men who had taken a form of brown, powered ecstasy, commonly known as “Mandy”.
Earlier this week, gardaí admitted they have seen a “huge increase” in demand for ecstasy this year on the back of a surge in the production of high-quality MDMA in Europe.
Tony Geoghegan, chief executive of the Merchant’s Quay Drug Treatment Centre, said recreational or weekend drug users are “less experienced” and less knowledgeable of the effects and consequences of various combinations.
“Cocaine mixed with alcohol causes a different reaction, and that’s what happens too with these amphetamines and other types of ecstasy. Experimental and recreational drug users are the most vulnerable: They know least about drugs, know least about the effect, what to expect, how to manage them, and how to source them,” he said.
His comments were echoed by co-ordinator of Addiction Services at the HSE South, David Lane. “There is a real problem out there whereby people don’t realise that mixing drugs is one of the biggest factors in drug-related deaths,” said Mr Lane.
“People who are recreational drug users need to be more aware of accidental poisoning. Mixing drugs and alcohol with prescription drugs increases toxicity and significantly increases risk of poisoning and overdose. They also need to be more aware of their tolerance, their limits.”
Community garda and member of Kinsale Youth Support Services, Gda James O’Mahony, said recreational drug users often tend to differentiate hugely between hard and soft drugs.
“There really is no such thing as a soft drug and softer drugs. They are all harmful,” he said.
“People also have to be more aware of the fact that they don’t know what’s in a lot of the party drugs. If you ignore this advice, it’s at your peril.”
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