LIMITED LEGALISATION OF DRUGS URGED BY PRIEST

IT may be time to "think the unthinkable" and consider the
decriminalisation of drugs, a leading priest suggested yesterday.

Criminalisation drove the problem underground, led to dangerous drug use
practices and had a high social cost as well, said Father Gerry Raftery, of
the Franciscan Justice Office.

He is involved in a number of services for drug users, the homeless and
people with HIV and AIDS.

Estimates suggested that up to 60pc of crime in the capital was drugs
related and that there may be up to 10,000 heroin users in the greater
Dublin area, Fr Raftery told the National Crime Forum.

"If limited legalisation (heroin available on prescription) was considered
and if the drugs issue was redefined as a health issue rather than a
criminal matter a number of positive effects would ensue," he said.

Property crime linked to drug use would sharply decline, the number of
dealers would decrease, users would be able to stabilise their lifestyle
and would not need to seek new customers to feed their own habit, the
priest added.

He also claimed costly deaths from overdoses would decrease and there would
be fewer working class adolescents with a criminal record which limited job
and education opportunities.

Fr Raftery warned that the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1997
which enables local authorities and tenants groups to evict people who
engage in 'anti-social behaviour' could lead to a net increase in levels of
homelessness and crime.

But assistant city manager Philip McGuire said communities wanted Dublin
Corporation to have a "hands-on involvement" in dealing with drug abuse.

He said the corporation would continue to evict "chaotic, violent people
who cause vandalism and who have vested interests in wrecking an estate".

However, he stressed that the corporation had not evicted a "huge number of
people".

Fergal Foley, of the Bar Council, said he had serious doubts about the
wisdom of the legalisation of drugs and asked Fr Raftery if he had further
information about its effects.

Fr Raftery said he had personally witnessed the stabilising effects of
methadone programmes for drug users but otherwise he was relying on
evidence from other European countries.

He stressed that his submission was designed to encourage debate on the
issue.

Opening the forum, Justice Minister John O'Donoghue said a Government white
paper on crime would determine criminal justice policy for the next couple
of decades.

He said the paper, which he intends to publish later in the year, would
look at offenders, potential offenders, victims, potential victims and
address factors contributing to crime.

He told the 35 members of the forum panel that he hoped their work would be
a milestone on the road towards an enhanced criminal justice policy.

"It will tackle crime from every perspective available to a democratic
society and I intend it to be successful and stand the test of time," said
Mr O'Donoghue.

"We can only succeed in the war against crime if all sections and groups in
society are united in a partnership approach towards fighting crime and its
causes."