Drug users living on city’s northside fear reprisals from vigilantes
The study into the effectiveness of a project for people who use drugs spoke to members of the community, project staff and users of the service.
Fears of action against drug dealers or users may have spiked following the murder just over a year ago of convicted drug dealer Gerard ‘Topper’ Staunton, after claims were made on behalf of the Real IRA that it was responsible and the killing would help parents sleep better at night. Seven people suspected of links to dissident activity were arrested last week as part of the Garda investigation into the death.
Pat Leahy, a lecturer in University College Cork’s school of applied social studies, said there is an underlying fear about vigilantism among drug users who he and other researchers met.
“Drug users are terrified. There’s a fear about the idea that vigilantes could be up and running in any shape or form. The reality might be that there’s no vigilantes within 50 miles of Gurranabraher but if the perception is there, it affects people,” he said.
Mr Leahy and UCC social work degree students, Emma Bennet and Aoife Farrell, co-authored the report on the Gurranabraher/Churchfield Drugs Outreach Project (GCDOP), run by Youth Work Ireland Cork and funded by the Cork Local Drugs Task Force.
Most of about 70 drug users the project worked within the first 10 months of 2010 were in their late teens to early 20s, with a mix of substances being used including heroin, cannabis, cocaine and alcohol.
The report focuses largely on the effectiveness of the project but a survey of a small number of local people also found strong attitudes about drug users, with some people believing they should be viewed as victims. One participant said the “drug squad should deal with dealers” and that “judges [should] come down hard on them”.
The majority of locals said they had witnessed illicit drug use in the area, mostly of cannabis. Most also knew drug users personally and supported the criminalisation of dealers at virtually all levels, while local people were strongly of the view that the area had a drugs problem and a high crime rate.
Mr Leahy said cuts like the 2% being taken from the GCDOP’s €60,000 budget this year might seem like a drop in the ocean but the early intervention of such projects can save huge amounts in the longer term.
“If you think that keeping someone in prison costs around €70,000 a year, think what could be saved if projects like these keep half a dozen young people out of the justice system,” he said.
The report warns that the use of drugs is likely to rise rather than fall in the recession as people attempt to cope with unemployment and loss of income.
“Community-based project workers proactively assist people in dealing with their issues at all levels, from the youngster who is starting to experiment with cider and cigarettes to the ‘hardened’ users who are prostituting to pay for their drugs,” Mr Leahy said.
