Casual drug use becoming the norm in rural communities – Smyth

Casual drug use is becoming the norm in rural communities and warned more needs to be done by government to combat this problem, warns a local Fianna Fáil TD.

Deputy Niamh Smyth said, “There has been a serious rise in the use of cocaine in the Cavan-Monaghan area. The government is failing to invest in Local and Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Forces and this is why we are seeing the spread of drug use in these communities.  This week I met with officials from the Health Research Board in Leinster House where they revealed their most recent research looking at 2017 which showed that 376 people died from a drug related overdose.

“The use of drugs and cocaine is on the rise and people need to be educated about the links between drug use and long-term mental health issues. If we saw greater investment in the local task forces, then we could achieve change. What we need to see is more support in local communities that are being ravaged by drugs.

Deputy Smyth's comments come after the chief superintendent of the Cavan Monaghan Garda Division warned that drug use is now happening across all age groups, social classes and professions in County Cavan, with even some gardaí taking drugs.

Chief Superintendent John O’Reilly made the comments at the inaugural meeting of the newly convened Joint Policing Committee (JPC) in Cavan Courthouse. The latest crime figures showed a four-fold increase in detections of possession of drugs for sale and supply (dealing). In the third quarter of this year, there were eight such detections in County Cavan, compared to two for the same period in 2018.
“There is regular use of cocaine and all sorts of social drugs among all ages right across the board – guards included probably, if I’m honest. It is not unique to young people unfortunately,” Chief Supt O’Reilly told the members.
He warned that drug use is a huge social problem and is causing devastation in homes.
“It leads to threats, stealing, crime - it creates so many issues. Drugs will never go away. That is a reality of the society we live in,” said the senior garda, while committing to continue the fight against them.

 

Closure

Deputy Smyth also said that the Minister is aware of the scale of the crisis and needs to act.

"I previously raised with her the need to support Cavan Drug Awareness Trust (CDA) which faces closure due to a shortage of funding and increasingly difficult operating restrictions. Raising awareness and education for young people are essential to all this, but we also need our government funding resources in the essential supports which we depend on in the ground in our counties.

“Local and Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Forces, along with our Gardaí and community support groups, all play an essential role in communities across the country by providing a targeted response to emerging trends in drug and alcohol use,” concluded Deputy Smyth.