ANTI-DRUGS CAMPAIGN

Sir, - I am writing to voice my concern regarding the new National
Anti-Drugs Campaign sponsored by Crimestoppers in conjunction with the
Garda, the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Justice,
Equality and Law Reform.

The Campaign was recently launched by former soccer star Paul McGrath and
received a high level of media attention.

The Campaign uses highly emotive images to encourage a clampdown on drugs
and crime.

One poster depicts a young man selling a hi-fi to another young man and the
slogan reads "Your hi-fi, his next high." Another shows a rough and
drawn-loking young man's face and states "I'm a heroin addict, I only mug
people when I'm desperate.

I get desperate every 36 hours." Both posters use the slogan "a crackdown
on drugs is a crackdown on crime."

As an agency that works with drug users and their families, we are
extremely concerned by these types of gross generalisations as they distort
the real issues and as such are an unfair presentation of what is a real
social problem in Dublin . While of course there are strong links between
drugs and crime, these types of depictions serve only to further stigmatise
drug users and exacerbate the fear the general public feel in relation to
the drugs issue.

Particularly at the present time when such an effort is being made by local
drugs task forces to establish much needed treatment and prevention
services at a local level, this type of advertising is counterproductive
and makes any response to the problem more difficult.

Perhaps if Crimestoppers really want to clamp down on drugs and
drug-related crime, they might consider sponsoring a campaign that promotes
a more positive image of drug users that will assist the establishment of
local drugs services and encourage drug users to avail of treatment. -
Yours, etc.,

TONY GEOGHEGAN, Director, The Merchants's Quay Project, Dublin 8.