ANTI-DRUG SHOCK TACTICS DON'T WORK, SAYS RYAN

SHOCK tactics in anti-drug messages will play no part in the latest
awareness campaign because they don't work, the Government's drugs chief
said yesterday.

Minister of State Eoin Ryan said the eagerly awaited campaign - a central
plank of the Government's National Drugs Strategy - had been delayed due to
teething difficulties.

"We have been told by professionals that we cannot just put a simplistic
campaign out on the street because it's not going to work," said Mr Ryan as
he announced details of €28million funding for drugs task forces.

He said the awareness campaign, supposed to have been commenced by the end
of last year, was proving difficult to develop.

"I think it's better that we delay it and do it properly, rather than
telling people simplistic messages like 'don't take drugs, you might die',"
said the Minister.

"It doesn't work and it's been proven not to work.

"We're going to have a number of different types of campaigns, much more
targeted and locally-based."

He said community and voluntary groups were involved in the team deciding
on the awareness campaign.

Mr Ryan said the €28m funding was to help upgrade and refurbish
buildings and facilities used by young people.

"The funding being made available will provide for recreational, social and
developmental activity that will ensure young people can make a positive
and enjoyable transition to adulthood," he said.

He said more than €59m had already been spent under the drugs
strategy, supporting almost 340 projects.

These include 68 youth and community centres and 21 sports facilities which
employ 81 youth and outreach workers.

The projects were being independently evaluated to ensure they were
successfully targeting young people at risk, he said.

Mr Ryan said the National Drugs Strategy, launched last May, was
progressing well.

He said the Department of Education, which he admitted had been much
criticised, had allocated an official to each of the 14 local drugs task
forces - 13 in Dublin and one in Cork.

The department would also implement substance abuse programmes in all
schools in these areas by the end of this year and in other schools by the
following year.

He said regional drug task forces would start meeting in May.

They are also working on the additional funding necessary for their
establishment.

Mr Ryan welcomed recent garda successes in seizing heroin, but said he
wanted this to continue.