Teenage cocaine overdose speeds up anti-drug programme

THE death of a 19-year-old man from a suspected cocaine overdose and subsequent multiple seizures of narcotics in a rural part of north Cork has accelerated an anti-drug programme in the area.

A dedicated drugs worker being appointed to the area and a cross-section of community leaders has established a working group which aims to set up a youth cafe for teenagers.

Martina Munnelly, has just been appointed by the Southern Regional Drugs Taskforce as a community outreach drugs worker in the Fermoy area.

She readily admitted that the death of Padraig O’Keeffe in the village of Rathcormac last June “had probably sped up the project”.

His death so shocked the community that many people readily gave gardaí information on drug pushers, leading to a considerable number of seizures in recent months, for what is a relatively small area.

Although only three weeks in the job, Ms Munnelly said there seemed to be drug abuse problems in smaller villages and added that a lot of young people said they didn’t have anywhere to go.

Claire O’Mahony, a Cloyne diocesan youth worker in the area, said surveys had been undertaken which showed that a large number of young people were not interested in sport.

The Fermoy area has a vast array of well-equipped sporting clubs, but youth workers are anxious to give something to teenagers who just aren’t sports-orientated.

Teenagers with nothing to do are often drawn into drug use.

“Sometimes it takes a tragedy before people wake up. A lot of teenagers were shocked and upset (by Padraig O’Keeffe’s death). I hope it’s made a number of them think twice,” Ms O’Mahony said.

She said that it is hoped that a premises can be found within the Fermoy area which could serve as a youth cafe and appealed for anybody who had one available to help out the community group.

Ms O’Mahony said that grants would be applied for from state agencies to fit out the premises with computer games, pool tables etc.

“The teenagers have told us they want a ‘chilled-out’ environment and they will have a major input in the project,” she said.

Anyone willing to supply a premises can contact Ms O’Mahony at 025-32109 or 086-8031291.