‘Many users owe a fortune’

LIAM O’BRIEN said he knew of one family who were forced to move out of their home after their son clocked up a massive cocaine debt.

“They said they had to move out. Their son was €4,000 in debt. Local dealers were looking for him and going to the house. They were afraid someone could be shot.”

It’s not an isolated situation, according to Mr O’Brien, who runs the Tallaght Cocaine Project in west Dublin, which is currently dealing with 30 users.

“Many owe a fortune in money. It’s often the financial difficulties that gets people to seek help in the first place.”

Research carried out by the project in 2006 found that most of the 95 people who attended the project since February 2005 described themselves as weekend users, consuming fairly large quantities of cocaine.

The research found they were spending from €200 to €2,000 over a three-to-four day period. Most were in regular employment, with a large number self-employed.

Research carried out by the Dublin Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign last year found financial debt was having a huge impact not only on individuals, but also on families.

Many reported intimidation and reprisals from drug dealers and money-lenders and said there had been a sharp rise in violent crime and gun-related crime.

The Tallaght project is one of three cocaine-specific projects in Dublin.

It has been running for more than two years. But it is literally being kept going on a monthly basis by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

“We’ve funding until the end of the month. That’s the position the whole time,” said Mr O’Brien.

He said that while there were individual civil servants and individuals within the HSE that wanted the project to continue, there was a reluctance by the organisations to put money into the project amid uncertainty over value for money.

“I want to see the project properly funded. You can’t run a programme like this, you can’t employ people.”

The project provides intensive counselling and a range of alternative therapies for users.

Mr O’Brien said they had experience of problem cocaine users attempting suicide as a result of depression following heavy use.

He said many described themselves as recreational users, who thought they didn’t have a problem — a situation, Mr O’Brien said, was similar to alcohol.

He said they were helping people from Tallaght, south Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow and Laois. “They say the place is awash with cocaine.”