COCAINE IN THE COUNTY: PARENTS GET A WARNING

THE director of Limerick Youth Service has warned that cocaine use is
on the increase in towns and villages across County Limerick due to a
shortage of other illegal drugs - especially cannabis.

And a garda source based in County Limerick has told the Limerick
Leader: "Drugs are in every small village and town in Limerick -
Ardpatrick, Kilfinane, Kilmallock. Whether their parents know it or
not, a lot of young people are dabbling in drugs."

Youth Service director Catherine Kelly says she has even heard
rumours that "coke boards are being passed around like cheeseboards"
at house parties which have been organised as part of Christmas celebrations.

"Obviously the use of cocaine is huge in the media at the moment but
being realistic it is an issue. Young people are going through a time
of adolescence change and experimentation and we are realistic about
that. We do our best throughout our organisation to promote a
drug-free and alcohol-free environment for young people and we are
vigilant about that but we do recognise that, yes, there are a lot of
young people socially, recreationally and habitually using drugs."

Ms Kelly says the increased use of cocaine is especially worrying.
"The levels of cocaine use have increased in recent months because
there is a shortage of hash at the moment and the cocaine is the next
best thing and it has become really really cheap. It is no longer the
case that it is seen as a designer drug and a middle class drug and
the fear amongst those working in the community is how pure it is."

Supt Tom Gavin, of Newcastle West, agreed that cocaine use is on the
rise in the county: "Cocaine is available in rural towns and villages
and we have made a number of seizures of the drug this year within
this district. Other drugs are also being used and obviously I would
urge anybody considering taking any drugs not to do so - that goes
without saying," he stressed.

Speaking in the Dail, this Wednesday, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said it
is too easy to obtain drugs and he said it is time to take the
glamour out of recreational drug-takin g. He made his comments
following the death of 21- year-old Kevin Doyle, 10 days after he
took cocaine at a house-party in Waterford.

Frontline gardai in Limerick say the Celtic Tiger is responsible for
the increase in recreational drug use among young people. "They are
being allowed to drop out of school and there are people working in
any profession and they are using drugs recreationally - taking a
line of coke or smoking cannabis.

"Take, for example, a young plasterer just out of school. He is
getting UKP300 to UKP400 a week into his hand so he has no problem at
all paying for drugs," said one garda based in County Limerick.

Figures released by gardai in Limerick show that drug seizures and
convictions are steadily increasing. One of the biggest seizures in
County Limerick was on April 18 when 23 kilograms of cocaine, worth
around UKP230,000, were seized near O'Rourke's Cross.