A nationwide problem - New drugs strategy is crucial

In its annual report issued yesterday, Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) stated that serious problems relating to heroin use are no longer confined to cities but are now prevalent in regional towns. The heroin problem has become a national crisis.

MQI reports that 5,286 addicts sought its help last year and 942 of those were presenting themselves for the first time. This amounted to an alarming increase of about 20 new addicts seeking help for heroin addiction every week.

In addition to its main base in Dublin, MQI found a growing demand from addicts for its services in Carlow, Offaly, Laois, Westmeath and Longford. In fact, 40% of those accessing treatment are now from outside the Dublin area.

“Heroin respects no borders and users are now to be found in all areas from Ballyshannon to Ballydehob,” Tony Geoghegan, chief executive of MQI, said.

Cities such as Cork, Limerick and Waterford, which were considered relatively unscathed five years ago, have now developed significant heroine problems.

In this era of expenditure cuts, it is worth remembering that the British have found that for every £1 spent on drug treatment, it saved £3 in terms of social, health, and criminal justice charges. Heroin addicts are essentially slaves to the drug and they are inevitably driven to satisfying their craving one way or another.

If the gardaí could somehow find a magic tap to cut off the supply of heroin into the country in the morning, we could be left with a very serious crime problem, with addicts becoming desperate to feed their cravings. Hence the need to expand drug treatment centres should be recognised.

In answer to a question from Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, Garda Superintendent Pat O’Sullivan of Tralee estimated that between 20% and 25% of the illicit drugs are being detected. There were 48 seizures of illicit drugs in Tralee in the first eight months of this year.

Tralee was never known to have a drug problem, but heroin has become “the main drug detected” in the town, according to gardaí. There were 12 seizures of the drug this year and there was one death from a heroin overdose in the town during the summer.

The presence of crystal meth (methlamphetamine) has been even more alarming, because it is regarded as even more addictive than heroin. It is normally associated with eastern Europe, but there have already been three significant seizures of the drug in Tralee since March.

In our war on drugs we are using tactics that have failed miserably elsewhere, and they are clearly failing here. Remember, the detection rate reflects only a quarter to a fifth of what is going on, and it is going on all over the country. We must face up to the reality that a new strategy is drastically needed.