TEENS FIND RICH PICKINGS IN DRUGS

JUVENILES are switching from petty crime, burglary and larceny to the more
lucrative drugs trade and netting significant profits, gardai last night
revealed.

The growing trend towards using youths to peddle drugs has led to calls
from a leading antidrugs activist for parents and teachers to become more
vigilant and for the Government to set up a programme for youths who find
themselves bullied into the trade.

While gardai in Dublin say key pushers in the Capital were generally in the
30plus age group, officers in Cork say teenagers and youths in their early
20s were getting more involved in the illegal trade. Director with the
European Communities Against Drugs (ECAD), Con O'Leary, urged parents to
"wake up" to the possibility that many of their children were involved in
the trade.

"Just because they're not coming in stoned does not mean they are not into
drugs. Some are getting involved because of the money. Others are selling
drugs out of fear," said Cllr O'Leary.

The activist stressed the need to set up a protection programme for
children who have been bullied into dealing.

"If we don't react soon, we'll have another generation of drug dealers who
are professionals in the trade before they are 30. They should be able to
give evidence under some sort of witnessprotection programme or the
bullying and the abuse will continue," Mr O'Leary stressed.