asked the Minister for Health the steps which are being taken to ensure that a preventative plan is prepared to deal with what may be a pending cocaine and "crack" epidemic following on international trends.
Written Answers. - Abuse of Illicit Drugs.
35.
The situation in relation to the abuse of all illicit drugs is being kept under continuing review by the National Co-ordinating Committee on Drug Abuse, who maintain regular contact with the treatment services, Customs Authorities and the gardaí. While we are certainly guarding against complacency in this area, the treatment and crime statistics for the last few years would indicate a levelling out of the problem of the abuse of illicit drugs. There is no indication that there is currently any significant problem with the abuse of cocaine and there is no evidence at all of "crack" being available in this country. However, the treatment services, customs authorities and the gardaí are alert to the possibility of a problem developing.
The aim is to prevent such a problem developing by various preventative measures, such as education and law enforcement, which are provided in the context of the Government's general strategy for tackling the drugs problem. In this, I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 30 of 19 June 1986 in which I outline the measures being taken by the Government to counter drug abuse and the progress of such measures.