GARDAI WARN THAT RISE OF COCAINE COULD HERALD CRACK EPIDEMIC

Gardai have warned about the threat of a crack cocaine epidemic in Ireland
and the danger of organised criminal gangs manufacturing a new drug known
as "poor man's cocaine".

The head of the Garda National Drugs Unit, Assistant Commissioner Kevin
Carty, warned yesterday that crack and a drug called meth-amphetamine, or
"crank", could be the next narcotic to hit the Irish market.

His comments followed a seizure in Clontarf six weeks ago of 40,000
meth-amphetamine tablets. It was the first consignment of crank found in
Ireland.

The garda drugs squad is also concerned about the increasing amount of
cocaine being seized in Ireland.

Assistant Commissioner Carty fears the beginning of a crack problem here.

"There has been an increase in the seizures of cocaine over the last number
of years in Ireland," he said.

"Before, it tended to be the drug of the affluent and was not used in
socially deprived areas. That trend has been reversed in the last two to
three years."

At a conference in Monaghan of drug enforcement officers from Ireland,
England, Scotland, the United States and Sweden yesterday, Assistant
Commissioner Carty warned of the devastation crack and crank could cause.

"We want to raise awareness about these drugs," he said. "We don't have a
problem with crack or meth-amphetamine here as yet, but we want people to
know that the threat exists.

"Communities in the United States have been devastated and we are looking
now to see what we can do to learn from that. It is not a problem now but
the threat is out there.

"The seizure of 40,000 tablets of meth-amphetamine in Dublin six weeks ago
was significant by any standards. There have been small instances of crack
cocaine, so it is out there."

The garda drugs boss said that there had been several large seizures of
speed over the past six months and the drugs were of an extremely pure
quality, destined for distribution around the country.

Assistant Commissioner Carty criticised those in the pop music industry who
portrayed ecstasy as attractive. He said they were putting young people's
lives in danger.

"Ecstasy ravages through the brain like a hurricane. For somebody to
promote that is like telling somebody to play Russian roulette, because
there is absolutely no control over it," he said.