A DUBLIN West TD has called for efforts to be made to reduce the increasing level of recreational drug use among young people.
Deputy Jack Chambers, who is Fianna Fáil’s Drugs Strategy Spokesperson, said that differing levels of drug use each pose different issues and require specialised approaches.
“We often discuss possible solutions to problem drug use and the need to support those in addiction, but we also need to address the growing number of young people who feel the need to take recreational drugs within their social circle,
? he stated.
“It is a task for us all to encourage recreational users to make the conscious connection between their use and the drug dealers and gangs that are dominating the streets of our capital.
“Every MDMA pill dropped, every line of ketamine snorted is money directly into the pockets of gangland crime barons who are also destroying lives and feeding off addictions.
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Deputy Chambers added:
“With the summer festival season in full swing, it’s important that festival goers and adolescents in particular are aware of the dangers of casual drug taking.
“The popularity of synthetic drugs such as ecstasy and MDMA means that many of the supplies entering the market are often laced with lethal contaminants. This increase in demand has made it impossible for casual users to ascertain what is in the drugs that they are taking.
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Mr Chambers added that regardless of quantity or substance, taking any kind of drug could have potentially fatal consequences. He believes that recreational drug users have often misunderstood the properties, purity and effects of synthetic drugs.
“Examining the potential value of new approaches to recreational drug use is not to condone or normalise the personal choice to take drugs,
? he said.
“This is about starting an honest and frank discussion about how we effectively respond to an often ignored stage of drug use among our young population.Â
“That conversation requires us to explore possible solutions to a broadening public health crisis and reaching as many users as possible to raise awareness, change attitudes and prevent harm.
“Our emphasis, therefore, remains best placed on providing education and information about the dangers of drug use, the implications it has on individual wellbeing and on the importance of taking personal responsibility.
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Mr Chambers said he was committed to reviewing new initiatives and measures, including, if necessary, legislative changes designed to deter young people from using narcotics of any kind.
“Policymakers and legislators must remember that law enforcement and harm reduction can and should co-exist,
? he concluded.