Single agency set to oversee drugs strategy

A NEW national agency is to be set up to spearhead the country’s drugs strategy, it has emerged.

The government’s drugs strategy minister also said that a “more aggressive” programme would be put in place to wean the growing number of heroin addicts on methadone — now standing at 8,600 — off the substitution drug.

However, Junior Minister John Curran was not in a position to say whether or not alcohol would be included in the new drugs strategy, due to be published in April.