Ireland"s drug problem hasn"t gone away you know

Discussion on Ireland"s drug problem has taken something of a back seat in the wake of our plummeting financial situation, which has, for a year now, dominated the headlines. In fact, one might even have thought that the drugs problem had more or less gone away. But in fact our plummeting financial situation may end up making our drugs problem worse too, as lack of work, lack of opportunity, and lack of money, make people look for escape in the world of drugs. So serious, indeed, is Westmeath"s drugs problem that the Midland Regional Drugs Taskforce wants a needle exchange programme set up for the midlands, to reduce the possibility of addicts sharing needles, and perhaps, contracting and/or spreading diseases such as Aids. It sounds like we could be facing into the sort of problems that bedevilled the 1980s, when drug addicts desperate to get money to pay for their drugs, were engaged heavily in crime, breaking into houses, snatching handbags, and selling whatever they could get their hands on for whatever they could get. And what"s worrying is that if drugs are now so great a problem that there is a need for a needle exchange problem locally, it"s clear that rural Ireland could be about to feel the full force of the sort of drugs problems that cities have long been coping with. That said, there is not a village in this county where drugs are not available, nor where drugs are not used. We may console ourselves by thinking 'Ah, it"s only cannabis', even though it"s long been known that cannabis is a 'gateway' drug, one that starts people off on the road to addiction. But make no mistake about it: even in rural Ireland, cocaine is in use - and widely so. Ecstasy is in use. And it"s not that difficult to come by, and indeed, in some circles, there is absolutely no stigma about using drugs. The responsibility is back with us now. If we know who is involved in the drugs scene, it"s not enough that we warn our children to keep away from them. We need to get on the phone, and tell the guards. It doesn"t matter if they are your neighbours, your friends, or your relations. The fight against drugs must be absolute. The Gardaí are having their successes against drug pushers, but there are more and more getting into the business of dealing in drugs all the time, and the guards need every assistance they can get to keep ahead of the problem.