FORUM ON DRUG PROBLEM CALLED FOR

Anti-drugs activists in Blanchardstown in west Dublin have called for
the establishment of a community policing forum which would involve
the Garda, residents and council officials.

Such forums are already in operation in Dublin's north inner city and
Rialto - districts which have been affected by heroin addiction in
recent years.

At a weekend conference organised by Blanchardstown Against Drugs,
representatives from a number of anti-drugs campaigners spoke of the
"serious inadequacy" of Garda resources to combat drug dealing and
called for a joint approach to policing the "very serious drug
problem" in Blanchardstown.

"Up until recently, when there was a shooting, there were four members
of the Gardai to cover Blanchardstown, Cabra and Finglas, which have a
population of over 100,000 people. That says to me there is a serious
inadequacy in the policing situation," said the chairman of
Blanchardstown Against Drugs, Mr Paul Donnelly.

"One of the most frustrating things was that in the run-up to
Christmas we had up to 12 gardai on traffic duty around the shopping
centre and roundabouts. "We have drug pushers openly dealing in the
street and everybody in the community knows their name, but if we
don't have the gardai on the ground to deal with this, how can we
gather the evidence?"

Research is being conducted to find out the extent of heroin abuse in
the greater Blanchardstown area, but there are believed to be between
200 and 300 addicts, some as young as 16. Some "chase the dragon" - a
slang term for smoking heroin - while many are injecting the drug.

Of equal concern to anti-drug activists are reports of youngsters aged
12 and upwards who are smoking hash, according to Mr Donnelly.

"It is extremely worrying because it sucks them into other drug
cultures. I know there is a debate about whether hash is a gateway to
other drugs. I think it draws them into contact with drug dealers who
are totally unscrupulous and who will sell any drug for any profit,"
he said.

Supt Malachy Mulligan told the conference that 100 gardai were based
in the Blanchardstown area - part of K District. All gardai were now
acutely aware of drugs issues.

Murders in the Blanchardstown area in the past year resulted in a
heavy drain on resources, said Supt Mulligan. However, he stressed the
Garda needed "good information" from the public in order to act
against dealers.