Drugs strategy - Drugs war will be long and slow

IT would appear that Minister of State Noel Ahern, who has responsibility for drugs strategy and community affairs, is quite right in stating that the war on drugs is not being won.

His opinion is shared by an expert in the area, Jerry Cameron, a former US head of police, who spent most of his career in the anti-narcotics branch of the force. He is now spokesperson for LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition).

This is a group comprising former law enforcers whose experience is that Western governments have failed to tackle the drugs war and resources would be far better spent on promoting drugs awareness.

So insidious is the problem, that what at one time was considered to only afflict big urban centres, has well by now spread its tentacles into rural communities.

With drugs seizures of frightening amounts featuring in headlines almost on a daily basis, Mr Ahern is quite correct in realising that the war cannot be won overnight, but is a long, slow progress.

With the Government already spending €300 million on to tackle the drugs problem, he announced the allocation of more funding by his department, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, for local projects, which would involve building youth and sports facilities for children at risk of getting caught up in illegal drugs.