Government urged to ‘treat alcohol as a drug’

THE coordinators of the regional drug task forces all agree that alcohol has to be included in the Government’s National Drug Strategy.

“Alcohol is the main issue here. The number of people seeking treatment for alcohol outweighs illegal drugs three-to-one,” said Tony Barden, interim coordinator of the South Eastern Regional Drug Task Force (RDTF).

“It’s very unlikely that even those seeking help for drugs are not also abusing alcohol,” said Mr Barden.

Yet the RDTF has no brief to deal with alcohol, except where it involves people under 18.

“It’s very difficult for us not to deal with alcohol. It makes no sense.”

Across the country the view is the same. “You cannot deal with the drug problem, particularly in the regions, without talking about alcohol,” said Willie Collins, interim coordinator of the Southern RDTF.

“It’s hard to find someone who is misusing drugs who is not also misusing alcohol. There is also a problem with excessive and binge drinking among young people. From a counselling point of view it makes sense to deal with them in the same shop.”

Currently, only illegal drugs and underage drinking are included in the National Drug Strategy (NDS) 2001-2008.

The views of the RDTFs will be aired during the mid-term review of the strategy, which is currently underway.

Figures in the Southern Health Board area show the number of people treated for alcohol problems jumped from 719 in 2000 to 1,160 in 2002, a rise of 61%.

Of these, almost 60% had never previously been treated for alcohol misuse.

Dr Nazih Eldin, interim coordinator for the North Eastern RDTF, said a lot of evidence showed drug use and alcohol use were linked.

“As a primary drug, alcohol is far more widespread than illegal drugs and as a secondary drug it is used with illegal drugs.”

Dr Joe Barry, lecturer in public health at Trinity College Dublin and member of the National Drug Strategy Team, backed calls from the RDTFs in relation to alcohol.

“When we carried out public consultations every place mentioned alcohol as a big problem. It would be very regrettable if alcohol is not included in the National Drug Strategy. If you take the numbers of people with problems involving cannabis and ecstasy and compare them to alcohol, alcohol would thwart them all.”

He said there was a “big blind spot” when it came to this country and alcohol.

“It’s a cultural thing. It’s taking the country a while to realise that alcohol is a drug. OK, it is legal, but it is still a drug.”

Dr Barry said the Government had to take action and treat alcohol as a drug.

“We have a strategy to deal with drugs, but no strategy to deal with alcohol. Obviously, the drink companies are lobbying strongly that alcohol is different to drugs, but the Government can’t ignore it any longer.”

He said Health Minister Micheál Martin hasn’t shown the same vigour with alcohol as he has with tobacco.

“He’s done very well on tobacco. He needs to do the same with alcohol and persuade his Cabinet colleagues. They can decide whether to set up a new alcohol group or include it in the national drugs strategy. From an economies of scale point of view it would make sense to link it in, but it’s a matter for the Government.”

He said the second report of the Strategic Task Force on Alcohol was due to be published soon.

This, together with the Oireachtas Health Committee’s report of Alcohol Misuse by Young People, would provide the Government with all the information it needed on the necessity of a strong strategic response to alcohol.

A spokeswoman for the Minister of State with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy, Noel Ahern, said there were two separate strategies for alcohol and drugs.

“There are two separate departments and two ministers with responsibility. It will take a Government decision for that to change.”

She said the views of the RDTFs in relation to alcohol and other matters would be raised in the consultation process and reflected in the document produced by Mr Ahern.

The junior minister will then take the report to the Government for further consideration.

Regional coordinators are also concerned about the rise in cocaine use and the need for more rehabilitation projects.

“I would be mindful of cocaine use,” said Maria McCully of the Mid-Western RDTF.

“We are not seeing a significant increase in numbers attending treatment for cocaine, but we are seeing a significant increase in what you might call ‘soft information’ from community groups who are saying cocaine use is there.”

Mr Barden of the South Eastern RDTF said seven people under 18 sought treatment for cocaine in 2003.

“While those figures are quite low, we are slightly worried. We know there is a lot of cocaine around from garda seizures. We would also be concerned at the combined used of cocaine and alcohol.”

Mr Collins of the Southern RDTF also said there were reports of increased cocaine use. “There are also reports from other places, in parts of Dublin, of crack. That would be more likely to come down on us than heroin.”

Figures from the National Advisory Committee on Drugs 2004 survey found cocaine use among 15-34 year olds ranged from 1.9% in the Midland Health Board, to 3% in the Western Health Board and 4.2% in the North Eastern Health Board.

RDTFs are also looking for more rehabilitation projects for people coming off treatment programmes.

“We have good detox programmes, but afterwards we see them once or twice and that’s it. No reintegration, no training, no education, no social rehabilitation,” said Dr Nazih Eldin.

Dr Joe Barry said rehabilitation merited more attention in the review process.

“Rehabilitation requires proper funding. It’s not cheap. It tends to be labour intensive, but it requires a bigger emphasis.”