Others position on drugs has lessons for Ireland, says expert

IRELAND should learn from other European countries which are successfully tackling alcohol and other substance abuse, an expert told a conference yesterday.

Grainne Kenny, president of Europe Against Drugs, said that as a population which regularly reached for substances of various kinds, we were at great risk from liberal policies being pursued in neighbouring countries.

“We need to follow the example of Scandanavian countries and concentrate on prevention and early intervention as well as engaging parent organisations,” she stressed.

“My experience over 20 years is that the countries that do best are those which do not wait for official bodies to do it for them, but who use their own endeavours to protect their families from drugs.

“That does not excuse our governments and, of course, schools play a vital role in partnership with parents,” she said.

The Swedes have followed policies which have placed them at the bottom of the table for drug abuse.

Ms Kenny said that tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs prematurely killed about seven million people worldwide each year and studies showed the number was rising.

“We need to remember that we are no longer an isolated island on the edge of Europe.

“Now that the borders have gone, the policies of our neighbours, especially our nearest ones, do affect us and we have to be more vigilant,” Ms Kenny said.