SCHOOL PRINCIPAL'S CONCERNS IN HEAD SHOP LETTER

A SCHOOL principal delivered a letter to a head shop in Dun Laoghaire
last week to express her concerns about the adverse health effects of
legal highs being sold at the premises.

Mary Mitchell O' Connor, who is also a councillor at Dun Laoghaire
Rathdown County Council, dropped the letter into the Head Candy head
shop on George's Street.

Cllr Mitchell O'Connor said she was so shocked by the number of young
people who have been affected by substances sold in head shops, that
it prompted her to write the letter.

Health Minister Mary Harney (Ind) has indicated that the Government
intends to enact legislation in June to ban some of the legal highs
being sold in head shops.

However, Cllr Mitchell O'Connor, who is principal of the Harold
National School in Glasthule, said parents of local children who were
taking the substances could not wait that long.

She called for Minister Harney to expedite the introduction of the
legislation.

"We owe it to our children to move ahead with the changes as soon as
possible," she said. "We have had enough and I cannot wait for
legislation to prevent further damage to my neighbours' children or my
own past pupils." She said she had seen the horrifying effects that
the legal highs had on young people in the area.

"Many of the young people are in secondary schools and are presenting
themselves distressed and disturbed," she added.

"It has also been brought to my attention that young people in Dun
Laoghaire Rathdown are presenting for counselling and other
psychiatric services as a result of using these legal drugs."

Eamonn Gillen of the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Local Drugs Task Force
said legal highs were becoming increasingly popular among young people.

"There are young people as young as 12 years old up to their late
thirties, who are using these legal highs," he said.

"From what we are hearing on the ground the use of these drugs is
definitely increasing. Some of these shops seem to be opening until
three in the morning and that is worrying.

"The danger is that people who wouldn't otherwise have had contact
with drugs before can actually walk in off the street and buy a
product that is more harmful than some of the illegal drugs being sold."

He claimed the substances were causing both physical and psychological
problems for those taking them.

"Obviously it is a concern for the younger age group. They are
presenting to counselling services as well as to A&E departments with
varying symptoms including palpitations, panic attacks and paranoid
delusions.

"From a psychological point of view these substances can temporarily
mimic psychotic symptoms for some people but it can be more severe for
people with underlying mental health issues."

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein staged a protest outside Green Dayz, a head shop
in Clondalkin recently after they were contacted by numerous concerned
residents in the area.

Lar Bates, chairperson of Clondalkin Sinn Fein said: "We have been
contacted by residents in Clondalkin Village who are appalled that
this head shop has not been closed down.

"These shops sell mind altering substances," he said. "The products in
the shops are being sold at prices and quantities to suit teenagers."

Southside People contacted both Head Candy and Green Dayz but they
were both unavailable for comment.