EU REPORT SHOWS DRUGS PROBLEM IS GROWING

IT might have been generally presumed that the gardaí were coming to grips
with the illicit drugs problem in this country, given the level of
consignments captured and confiscated in recent years.

They may well be containing the problem, as they believe, but it would seem
that the issue of drugs is still a huge problem here and one which must be
dealt with increasing vigilance.

According to a report this week from the EU's Lisbonbased drugs monitoring
agency, this country is facing one of the most serious drugs crises in the
European Community. It would appear that the extent of drug use among Irish
teenagers is unrivalled on the Continent, and that is something which
should give us all thought for very serious consideration.

It may be pointed out that while the results were released this week, the
survey is possibly more than 12 months old, but that is irrelevant because
according to at least one garda source the contents of the report were
nothing new to them.

This would infer that, what was true when the survey was undertaken, is
still true today.

The results of that report make for very depressing reading, but those
results are supported by EURAD (Europe Against Drugs) which is an
independent, voluntary agency.

According to the EU report Ireland is one of only a handful of European
countries where drug abuse among schoolgoers was on the increase.

As well, the number of addicts under25 undergoing treatment was more than
double the EU average.

Although the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has described the report as
"alarming," it doesn't come as any great surprise to our gardaí, and that
should make us all pause to consider whether enough resources and
initiatives are being invested in tackling this insidious problem.

To put in perspective the problem, it is sufficient to consider that less
than ten years ago there were just eight deaths in this country directly
attributed to poisoning from drug abuse. In 1995, that figure had risen to 49.

During the same period the seizures of all drugs in Ireland increased
significantly, which points obviously to the fact that our law enforcement
agencies are doing their very best, but to put a halter on this
particularly nefarious problem, substantially more effort and resources
need to be poured into containing it.

What needs to be realised, as a result of the survey, is that we cannot be
complacent about the intrusion of this gnawing problem in our society and
to understand that it afflicts all classes. No section of society is immune
from it.