NEW ANTIDRUG MEASURES NEEDED

Young people in almost every town and city in Ireland were experimenting
with drugs and if the problems which developed in Dublin were to be
prevented from spreading, effective measures and new structures to
implement them would have to be developed, the Minister of State for
Tourism, Sport and Recreation has said.

Speaking in Cork at the first meeting of a regional consultative forum to
review the National Drugs Strategy, Mr Eoin Ryan said that in the past the
drugs strategy had focused on areas where drug abuse was most obvious -
such as Dublin - but young people throughout the State were experimenting
with drugs, such as cannabis and ecstasy, and something needed to be done.

He told the forum - the first of eight such meetings which will take place
throughout the Republic over the next three weeks - that legislation
already had been brought forward to increase the powers of the Garda and
other authorities to tackle organised crime and drug-dealing.

"However, as many of you will be aware, we cannot solve the problem simply
by cutting off the supply of drugs. We must also put in place a range of
education, awareness and other measures to prevent young people from
turning to drugs in the first instance, as well as treatment and
rehabilitation options for those who are already addicted."

The local drug task forces had made considerable progress since their
establishment three years ago, Mr Ryan said, adding that as a result of
their initiatives, almost 50 support and advice centres for drug users and
their families had been developed.

Some 4,000 drug users and 3,000 family members had availed of these
services. As well, nearly 350 schools throughout the State had undergone
drug awareness programmes in which 6,000 schoolchildren had participated.
Some 350 teachers had received training and more than 300 youth groups had
run drug prevention initiatives.

Training programmes had been delivered to 1,300 community workers, 1,200
parents and 1,300 young people outside the school setting. "The recent
heroin-related deaths and the horrific murders of drug pushers which have
taken place in recent months is proof - if proof were needed - of just how
complex and difficult the drug problem is to address. The Government is
determined that the State agencies and local drugs task forces will have
whatever resources and supports they need to allow them to do their work,"
Mr Ryan said.

Ms Rebecca Loughry, co-ordinator of the Cork Local Drugs Task Force, told
the forum that the force was currently engaged in the preparation of an
updated plan to combat the drug problem in Cork. She said the task force
had undertaken a comprehensive and wide-ranging consultation process to
canvass as many opinions as possible.

Since its inception in 1997, the Cork Local Drugs Task Force has supported
and funded 21 projects in the city, including research and community-based
projects.

A new guide for young people in Cork, which has been produced by the Cork
Youth Information Centre, was presented at the forum.