Drug dealers ‘seven-nil’ up against the State in war on cocaine
Dr Brion Sweeney of the Health Service Executive said the State had “hit the crossbar a number of times” but had not yet scored.
Dr Sweeney, clinical director of addiction services of the HSE, called for a Guinness-style mass media campaign to educate people about drugs. Describing the State’s response to cocaine, the consultant psychiatrist said: “It’s seven-nil to dealers. We’ve hit the crossbar a number of times.”
He added: “That’s about the speed with which we’ve responded, we have not responded in time.”
Speaking at a conference in Dublin, Dr Sweeney qualified his remarks saying the State was responding. He said the State now had a “second bite” and was beginning to intervene with those experiencing problems with cocaine. This could affect demand and limit the size of the problem, he said.
Dr Sweeney said the HSE had adopted a Cognitive Behaviour Coping Skills approach to deal with cocaine. This is aimed at changing the thinking and behaviour patterns of users and giving them the skills to cope with cravings.
He said HSE counsellors were being trained and the first cocaine clinic had opened in Galway, with another in Dublin later this year. He said these clinics had been a “bit slow” coming.
The conference was attended by more than 300 drug workers from across the country and opened by new drugs strategy minister Pat Carey. Noting the minister’s presence, Dr Sweeney called for a mass drug education initiative, similar to Guinness’s hurling championship campaign. “This would be a large campaign delivered by a multi-national, involving every type of media that hits you every time you turn a corner.”
He said US research had shown this was the only type of drug education campaign that worked.
Two initiatives were launched at the conference: a cocaine resource pack for drug workers and a harm reduction campaign for injecting cocaine users.
A UN study this week listed Ireland as the country with the fifth most dramatic increase in cocaine use. Mr Carey said the rise was from a low base and Ireland had a more accurate reporting system than other countries.
