I welcome the Minister of State to the House. As someone who deals with students, I was glad to hear his response to Senator Cotter's question. The matter which I am raising this evening concerns students and other young people.
The use of illegal drugs in this country is a multifaceted problem and I wish to highlight one aspect which was recently brought to my attention. During the last session of the Seanad I spoke about the immediate health dangers of the illegal but widely used drug Ecstasy, or MDMA. It is widely available and quite cheap to buy. During the last few years there have been several deaths in this country which were related to Ecstasy use and many more young people have become seriously ill after taking it or other "dance drugs" at nightclubs or dance parties.
Most of the deaths appear to be associated with the medical syndrome described as heat stroke. This involves the development of very high body temperatures — over 40 degrees — dehydration, high pulse rate, low blood pressure and blood coagulation leading to kidney failure and death in quite a few of the cases. Apart from the ingestion of the drug, several other factors are important in the development of heat stroke. The young people are usually dancing energetically and the venues are crowded and hot.
We know that taking these drugs is very dangerous but there are some precautions which can avoid really serious problems if people persist in this unwise activity. Students' unions have put out some information about what one should do. For example, avoiding alcohol and drinking plenty cold water is a help. It is very difficult for those involved in running nightclubs and discos or raves to ensure that drugs do not enter the premises and people can take the drug before they get to the venue. However, it is quite easy to ensure a good supply of cold water on the premises.
Imagine my amazement when I was told by young people who frequent these parties that the water in the taps of the hand basins in the lavatories are frequently turned off at the stopcock for the whole night. This means that the dancers have to buy water at vastly inflated prices at the bar. The bar does not make much money because the dancers do not want to buy alcohol, but they have paid an entrance fee. From a purely public health point of view, it is entirely unacceptable that customers are unable to wash their hands after using the lavatories. It is much worse when the lives of those who have unwisely taken drugs are put even more at risk.
From the public health point of view, who is in charge of enforcing legislation which ensures proper hygiene facilities in these venues? I have approached several Departments about this. The health and safety regulations appear to cover the rights of workers. The Intoxicating Liquor Act covers bars and public houses. The special restaurant licence standards of 1988 cover restaurants and other places where food is served. However, what covers venues which one night holds a rave and the next night a concert by Pavarotti? It is not enough to say that it is up to the local authorities. Are environmental health officers involved? Who is supposed to ensure that the water keeps flowing? I am not even insisting that it should be drinking water — because I know that they do not have to make that available — but just clean water so that these potentially lethal situations could be avoided. Clean water used to be freely available at bars — and there was often ice in it — but those days appear to have gone.
I suppose it would be too much to request that the employees of such venues be given some training in first aid, considering the large numbers of customers present on the premises. These venues are supposed to take care of their employees. Would it be possible that they have people on the premises who could recognise that a patron was seriously ill or had taken drugs? Emergency aid in such situations could be essential in preserving life. For example, providing extra ventilation for someone who became ill in an overcrowded room would be of benefit.
A great deal of money is made from the leisure activities of the young. No matter how much we disapprove of it, this sort of activity is taking place and drugs are being taken. We must make all efforts to prevent the taking of illegal drugs. The lethal side-effects of so doing should be publicised. If deaths and serious illness can be reduced by the provision of clean water, it is essential that this be done. Who is in charge of supplying water to hand basins? Who has the power to ensure that the supply of water must be maintained?
