CANNABIS IS A 'GATEWAY DRUG'

Decriminalising cannabis would be a "betrayal" of parents who were trying
to keep their families free from the scourge of drugs, the Minister for
Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, told an Oireachtas committee yesterday.

He said cannabis was a "gateway drug." Garda research found it was the
initial drug of choice for just over half of drug users. Neither he nor the
Garda Commissioner supported decriminalisation, which could lead to a drop
in price and increased use.

Addressing the Joint Committee on European Affairs, Mr O'Donoghue said he
also opposed the controlled distribution of heroin to addicts. Heroin on
prescription has been introduced in the Netherlands and Switzerland and was
being considered by Denmark and Germany.

But the Minister said medical advice was that methadone was more suitable
than heroin for the treatment of heroin addicts as it reduced withdrawal
symptoms and craving without harmful side-effects.

He was replying to questions from Senator Brendan Ryan (Ind) who said
countries which had introduced heroin on prescription said it worked.

While he did not advocate the decriminalisation of cannabis, Mr Ryan said
limited Garda resources should be geared towards tackling heroin and
defending communities from drug pushers rather than combating cannabis. To
the best of his knowledge, only one person has died from cannabis in
Europe, "and that was because a bale of cannabis fell on them".

The committee was considering illegal drugs, in the context of the EU's
proposed action plan which will be discussed early next year. The plan aims
to reduce the demand and supply for drugs through increased co-operation
between law enforcement agencies and other institutions.

Mr Tony Gregory TD (Ind) asked whether the Minister would give priority to
pursuing his European counterparts to ensure there were no "safe havens"
for criminals. Major Dublin drug dealers were living luxurious lifestyles
in the Netherlands and Spain, he said, including "The Penguin Mitchell" and
"Footballer Dunne", in Amsterdam, and one of the men implicated in the
murder of Veronica Guerin who was now living in Marbella, he said.

Mr O'Donoghue admitted the issue "has not of late been raised" with the
Dutch government. Nor had it been discussed at EU level for some time.

He favoured extending recent Irish laws which freeze criminal assets to
other jurisdictions. But there was "very little or nothing I can do about
that".

The Minister also told the committee that tough new penalties for pubs,
off-licences and supermarkets which sold alcohol to underage drinkers were
included in the Intoxicating Liquor Bill to be published in January. The
new legislation would put the onus on the vendor to ensure the person
served was over 18.