Senator Callely was in possession.
Substance Abuse: Motion (Resumed).
The following motion was moved by Senator Larry Butler on Wednesday, 19 December 2007:
That Seanad Éireann recognises the epidemic in our society of alcohol misuse and illegal drug use, in particular cocaine and related substances, and acknowledges the need for a coordinated cross-departmental approach to this problem.
When this motion was moved, the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs was present. Today I am delighted to see here my constituency colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Deputy Seán Haughey, and I wish him well.
In my contribution on 19 December 2007, I indicated that the Dublin County Coroner stated on the previous day that cocaine was the commonest cause of death in more than half of all inquests. The year 2007 saw a large number of inquests into drug-related deaths and nearly all deaths involved young people. It was also stated that Ireland has the third highest level of cocaine use in Europe. Other reports give one a handle on the volume and in this regard the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Garda Síochána state that seizures of the drug have risen by 800% in the past five years. There are statistics we cannot ignore in respect of illegal drug use, particularly cocaine and related substances.
That Ministers of State from more than one Department have been present during our consideration of this motion shows we are adopting a cross-departmental approach to the problem. In the past, some of the agencies of the State may have been out in the field alone when trying to address some of the issues that arise.
Cocaine has been glamorised and romanticised in terms of its perceived benefits. On the last occasion on which I spoke on this matter, I asked how one could glamorise and romanticise a drug brought to the country in questionable circumstances. If one knew how it was transported here, one would have second thoughts about using it. I highlighted the fact that cocaine can be mixed with kerosene, sulphuric acid, calcium and a range of other chemicals to convert it into an appropriate paste. Its journey to Ireland might easily involve transportation in a person's stomach or rectum. Eventually, the cocaine is likely to reach Joe Scumbag, a low-life character who will mix it with flour or talcum power, if one is lucky, or rat poison, if one is not.
As we know, cocaine is divided into lines and snorted on cisterns or toilet lids. The pure form of the drug may cause heart attacks, haemorrhages or strokes. Contaminated versions may lead to a range of other potentially lethal problems. Although many people have taken it and lived to tell the tale, all have fallen victim to the substance and have helped to further the activities of the low-life drug dealers in our communities.
Drug-taking is a personal choice. However, before the powder-nosed sniffers take their next sniff, they should ask themselves whether they would consume a product offered to them it if it had been trampled into the mud, mixed with powerful chemicals, stuffed up somebody's back passage for some time and if they were asked to eat it using a toilet lid as a plate. If this were the case, would they have second thoughts?
One must question the value and success of the drugs strategies employed over recent years across Departments and agencies of the State. I have no doubt strategies were put in place on the basis of priority, the balance of advantage and the attempted reconciliation of various competing demands. While there may have been general agreement on the illness associated with substance abuse, there has been no such agreement on the correct strategy to be applied. Far too much comment is devoted to diagnosis, use and abuse and not nearly enough to strategies and their results.
When I raised this issue on the Order of Business, I referred to the fact that we had been dealing with substance abuse on a sectoral, regional and independent departmental basis. Different interests seize on particular aspects but we now need a uniform national response to the substantive and broader associated issues. The cocaine epidemic is and has been demonstrated to be a menace to human life, including family life, and society. The string of injuries, deaths and blatant abuses by the low-life involved in the drugs trade, which are becoming more frequent, is unacceptable. The available information and statistics justify the imposition of emergency measures to remove known activists in the drug trade from the communities in which they operate.
A known criminal was shot last weekend and is now seriously ill. This person was freely walking the streets of Dublin when he was shot several times. It is not the first time a person known to the Garda has been attacked in this manner. The Garda and other security forces of the State do tremendous work and put their lives at risk to protect the public. However, the system lets them down in so far as particular individuals are able to go about their business gaily while putting others at risk. We have reached the stage where emergency measures are required.
A recent documentary on the drugs industry indicated that the people involved at different levels in combatting drugs crime, including gardaí, customs officers and so on, know the identities of the main movers and are aware of their activities and movements but can do nothing about it. This is unacceptable to the citizens of this State. I understand the Garda could point out every one of the principals. There is public support for the imposition of emergency measures to prevent what we have repeatedly witnessed on the streets of Dublin and elsewhere with the associated risk to innocent members of the public.
Alcohol, drug and substance abuse in any form has been clearly demonstrated to be a positive menace to human life. Good work has been undertaken both by agencies of the State and by private industry in educating the public. The Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, and I are familiar with the work of Michael Patten of Diageo, for example, within the drinks industry. It has run a good campaign, particularly through the use of television advertisements, to encourage people to use alcohol sensibly. I also pay tribute to the work done by Irish Distillers, where my brother works, in highlighting the importance of drinking sensibly and the pleasure to be enjoyed from an appropriate use of alcohol.
As a former member of a health board, I am aware of the work done by outreach workers who put their lives at risk to make contact with people who slip through the existing safety nets. Progress has been made in certain areas and I congratulate the personnel involved. The Minister of State, Deputy Carey, referred to the important work done by State agencies and observed that there is significant scope for greater co-operation. It is important that we consider how best to maximise the potential for raising awareness in our 21st century society about the dangers of illegal drug use and alcohol abuse.
The time is opportune to embark on a new policy and strategy. We all accept that a great deal remains to be done to improve the existing position. I have heard and read speeches by successive authorities on the subject of substance abuse which included expressions of the finest humanitarian sentiments one could wish to hear. However, I question the progress we have made to deal with the root cause of the problem.
I had far more to contribute to this debate but the Cathaoirleach has indicated that my time has expired.
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey. I am pleased to have an opportunity to make a contribution to this debate on alcohol and drug abuse. Alcohol related injuries are the main cause of visits to accident and emergency departments, whether as a result of road traffic accidents, binge drinking leading to injuries and fatalities, or domestic violence. One fifth of motorists killed on the roads have alcohol concentration levels above the legal limit, with many far in excess of the limit. The Irish population continues to be among the highest consumers of alcohol in the EU. In 2006, alcohol consumption per adult was 13.4 litres of pure alcohol compared with an EU average of 10.2 litres. We are second after Luxembourg in the European league of alcohol consumption. This is a damning statistic and not something of which we should be proud.
Half of Irish children aged between 15 and 17 describe themselves as current drinkers and more than one third report being "really drunk" in the past 30 days. These figures are a cause for great concern. Social, personal and health education officers are needed at senior cycle, and these officers should work closely with community gardaí and local drugs taskforces. There is evidence that multi-component programmes, such as school and community or school and parent training, are more effective, but this type of linkage is currently missing. I urge that such an approach be taken sooner rather than later. One of the key findings in Alcohol Action Ireland's 2006 report was that 85% of people are of the view that our cultural attitude to alcohol must change. A values-based educational approach is urgently required to effect a change in attitudes.
The new report of the national advisory committee on drugs indicates increased usage of illegal drugs among all adults, having increased from 18% to 24% in the last four years. Men and younger age groups reported higher drugs usage. Among 25 to 34 year olds, for example, a lifetime usage rate of 34% was reported. I cannot overemphasise the need for school and community based initiatives, including parent education. This age group includes those who leave school early, which is often when the greatest void in terms of prevention programmes and interventions arise. Greater resources should be allocated to vocational educational committees in particular to deal with this area.
Cannabis is identified as the most commonly used drug and is sometimes referred to as a gateway drug. That is very worrying as cannabis users often progress to heroin or cocaine addiction which breeds violence and criminal behaviour with devastating effects on local communities throughout the country.
Cocaine use is on the increase and it was alarming to hear the Dublin county coroner call cocaine the biggest killer of all. Cocaine was a factor in almost one third of drug-related deaths into which inquests were held in Dublin city in recent years. This shows the direction in which society is going. There have been incidents of multi-organ failure leading to death as a result of damp and pure cocaine being used. In my city of Waterford, young men died as a result of taking damp cocaine.
Education is the key. We need to educate young people about the dangers of drugs and experimenting with them. People can be unlucky in that young lads trying cocaine for the first time can lose their lives as a result of experimenting with these drugs.
Law enforcement in this area needs to be addressed. Serious investment in the use of high quality breeds of trained drug dogs and trained handlers for random searches in pubs and nightclubs should be addressed. This should be available on a regional basis. This suggestion has been welcomed by publicans and nightclub owners whose hands are tied unless they have proof. I heard some nightclub owners and publicans say that they must put Vaseline on toilet seats and other surfaces to prevent cocaine use in toilets. This is how under-resourced they believe they are in tackling this drugs epidemic.
There is no doubt there has been a major breakdown in society since the mid-1990s. As a nation, we have failed to produce sound role models which our young people can proudly emulate. They believe the church has let them down in many ways and that the Government has let them down with many broken promises and the squandering of resources. There is nothing to fill the void but a Celtic tiger which has fuelled greed and where consumerism has become the new God. As we know, that could not last and for many, it has come to nought.
We have seen a horrific increase in the suicide figures and an increase in violent crime as a result of alcohol and drug abuse. Any effective cross-party approach must invest in the family and in parenting as a major priority in the fight against substance abuse.
I welcome the setting up of the alcohol advisory committee as a way to combat alcohol abuse. However, the Minister has set very strict terms of reference for the review group and I urge him to expand its remit to include an analysis of the current advertisement regulations. Without a realistic framework, it is unlikely that the review group's recommendations will be acted on. Its remit should be expanded.
I am glad to contribute to this debate. We need to take a cross-party and cross-departmental approach to tackle alcohol and drug misuse which are tearing our society apart. Any suggestions made by Members on both sides should be taken on board by the various Ministers and acted on as a matter of urgency.
It is important the agreed all-party motion gives equality of importance to the issues of alcohol misuse and illegal drug use. In the past we have tended to portray the situation in regard to illegal drug use as a crisis while the abuse and use of alcohol has been seen as a minor problem and some type of local difficulty. The reality is that alcohol, as a legal drug, contributes to most deaths in this country. It is also a lubricant which breaks down resistance, particularly among young people, and enables them to experiment with other types of illegal listed substances. On these grounds, we should be more honest in admitting that the ultimate gateway drug is alcohol.
The ambivalence towards alcohol in our society has led us down a road where we have failed to take the necessary action, either through legislation or informed public debate, to bring about better standards. If there is to be a value to this debate, this is one of the areas we might explore.
I can cite a particular example of the dangers of alcohol without the added complications of illegal drug use. A number of months ago I became aware of an incident in Cork city centre involving a group of young people who were out one Friday night. They were mostly over 18 years of age but there was a young girl in their company who was 17 years of age and who was drinking without her parents' permission, like tens of thousands of young people every weekend. The group of four to five young people left a bar and went to some type of fast food outlet to get food but came across another group comprising slightly older young people of 20 years of age or so and mainly male. That group had also consumed large quantities of alcohol and, having been fuelled with alcohol, it was more menacing. There was an exchange of words which led to jostling and punching. People were singled out, including the 17 year old girl who was picked on by two other women who scratched her face beyond recognition, pushed her to the ground and knocked her unconscious. As she was coming to, a hero of modern Ireland kicked her in the face causing her to lose four front teeth. I cite this incident because that young girl was my daughter.
Experiences such as this happens every weekend. That weekend when we went to the accident and emergency department in the local hospital, there were five similar cases — one involved a young woman while four others involved young men of a similar age. Until we can get our heads around the idea of alcohol being one of the biggest menaces in our society, I do not believe we can even come close to tackling the problem of illegal drug use. Even though it is damaging, pernicious and brings about a culture of criminality, I do not believe it causes the kind of damage caused by alcohol use and abuse in our society.
We have made a number of incorrect political choices on this road. The legislation put in place that allows a voluntary code of practice by the drinks industry is bad legislation. From time to time in this House, we rail about the dangers of self-regulation and the need for independent bodies to bring about better standards. Nowhere is this more necessary than in the area of alcohol advertising. I hope that during the term of this Government, that legislation is revisited. We cannot allow people to police themselves in this area. The knock-on from that is how advertising is used and how alcohol use is glamorised and associated with young people and sporting events.
We live in a country where one of our major exports is an alcoholic product. Despite that, there is a lack of honesty in the debate on alcohol. Such an attitude has led to an ambivalence towards illegal drug use here. While many authority figures have railed against the use of cocaine in recent years, it did not seem to be a problem when it was an upper middle class drug of choice, as it has been for the past 15 years. It is only when it began to be used by those with a different socioeconomic status that more questions started to be asked. In spite of all the deaths, it is often glamorised, depending on the status of the exponents involved and their lifestyles. It is the ambivalence that we have towards taking alcohol that has led to this double standard towards drugs such as cocaine. While we allow this ambivalence to continue, it will be very difficult to put in place alternatives that stop the supply and ultimately reduce its use.
We must admit that the taking of any drug — legal or illegal — occurs for a number of reasons. For many participants, it induces a euphoria. This euphoria is compensation for something lacking in their lives. We can rail all we like against the medical dangers involved in taking any drug in any quantity, but while people feel they take something positive out of taking drugs, our job becomes even more difficult.
There have been innovative proposals on how we might get around this. Some people talk about market mechanisms. Others talk about making illegal substances legal. However, the reality is that we have an economy in this country that supports drug use. While it is an illegal black economy, it sustains the lives of far too many people. We do not offer a better social or economic alternative. While millions have been pumped into organisations like the local task forces, I must wonder, as somebody with a youth and community background, to what extent has too much of that money gone to sustain an administration and how little has gone into providing the actual services and facilities needed to provide an alternative to young people. Until we get that balance right, we will be engaged in an exercise of running up the hill backwards.
I hope we face this debate with more honesty in the future. There are signs that the type of knee-jerk reaction that such debates would have caused in the past are no longer as prevalent as they used to be. Public representatives from across the political spectrum are addressing this issue with an intelligence which I believe has been sadly lacking in the past. However, we need to be consistent in addressing the problem, understanding it and coming up with an appropriate response. Ultimately, we must be honest and admit that much of the approaches we have taken to date have failed. Until we reach that level of honesty, the approaches we need to take might be further away than ever.
I welcome the opportunity to speak on this all-party motion on alcohol misuse and illegal drug use. I listened with interest to what Senator Boyle had to say on the topic and the story about his daughter. Unfortunately, many families have experienced this. It is an all too common occurrence on our streets that young people are attacked unprovoked by people who are either drunk or on drugs. The question of safety of young people in our cities and towns is predominant on parents' minds. They hear stories from their children about the experiences and the risks and one no longer feels confident about young people going out at night, such is the nature of the threat on our streets.
I also agreed with Senator Boyle when he spoke about the ambivalence in our attitudes. The ambivalence has been seen in these Houses over the years as well. The time has definitely come for change. The publicans and the drinks industry lobby have been too strong and have had too much influence on legislation. They have also had too much influence on Government policy. We must get clear about what we want to see happening. I hope the Senator and his party will use their influence on the Government so that we do not see this ambivalent attitude continuing, because I think it still exists. The only thing it has come up with is the expert task force on the issue of alcohol misuse, which reported to the Government in 2005. Rather than implementing the recommendations of this task force, the Minister of State has now put in place a new group to report to him. We need to examine the recommendations of that task force and ask what the delay is about, why are the original recommendations not being implemented and where is the national policy on alcohol. The ambivalence is in not having stricter codes of practice for advertising to young people. It is there in the glamorisation to which young people are continuously exposed.
I recognise the work which Senator Keaveney did in this area with her committee. We must pull together all the recommendations from these various groups and come up with a strong, integrated policy that is not ambivalent on the issue. If we do not do so, the implications will be even more serious.
Reading the report that came out on 25 January leads me to believe there is a crisis at present. The statistics are startling. One in four respondents aged 15 to 64 reported taking illegal drugs at one point in their lives. These young people have the access, the money, the need and the opportunity to take drugs. It is frightening. The most commonly used illegal drug is cannabis and 23% of those questioned used it at least once in their lifetime, while 7% used it in the last year and 3% used it in the last month. There is a 22% use of cannabis among all adults. There are very different views on cannabis, but I believe it can be a gateway drug for people. The damage it can do has been greatly underestimated and I would refer the House to the studies that have been done on cannabis use and psychosis. Young men are very much at risk. All of this is linked to alcohol, because it is difficult to separate alcohol policy and drugs.
I wish to talk about the task force and the new group appointed by the Minister of State. I welcome the fact that it will report quickly. Again, I agree with Senator Boyle about the legislation that has been passed and that there are flaws. One can see from every garage one goes to nowadays that cost and availability influences usage. Availability is ubiquitous and this is a major problem for communities. They are very unhappy that alcohol is so easily available, whether at garages or off-licences, and about the disorder this leads to.
It is important that the needs and views of young people should be taken into account in the new group set up by the Minister of State. There is no representative, for example, from either the youth work sector or the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. We must also recognise the enormous cultural attitudes that are at play. To change cultural attitudes and values is tricky. It can be done through education and information. The links between the drug task forces, for example, and the schools have not been made effectively. We want to see greater linkage between what is being done by Government and reaching young people in the schools. That is where the change in mindset can be brought about at an earlier stage, as well as in the home. I would be interested if the Minister of State could address this.
A clear national strategy is needed to tackle alcohol misuse, not just task forces and expert groups but a clear plan with goals and a timeframe. Many people believe the illegal drug problem is being exacerbated by the Government's lack of action in tackling alcohol misuse. The report by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs, published on 25 January, reveals some stark statistics which give a real insight into the scale of the problem with drugs. I have quoted some of them already. An increase of 18.5% in four years is extraordinary. We need a more co-ordinated plan in our schools. The Minister of State has yet to appoint a social, personal and health education regional development officer to liaise between young students and the local drugs task forces, and this is a lost opportunity. Perhaps the Minister of State could address this.
The quantity of drugs coming into the country is clearly a major issue, given the statistics available and the volumes being found. The Garda says this is only the tip of the iceberg. It is nothing compared with what actually is coming in. The question of small airports and how well resourced the Customs and Excise service is should be looked at as well as the role of the Naval Service. It is small but whatever we can do to intercept drug supplies must be done. This is a worldwide issue and is not easy to deal with, but clearly in this country we are losing the fight against the importation of drugs. That is a key area that needs to be taken much more seriously and addressed in greater detail.
In my constituency I see how intimidated individual families feel. They are very nervous about reporting people who cause anti-social behaviour in the area. It difficult for families to do because they are nervous about repercussions and there is a real sense of being intimidated. I do not envy the Garda its job in this area. There is no doubt that gangland feuds, violent crime and intimidation are becoming widespread in many areas in large towns and cities. The Dublin coroner recently released statistics which show that cocaine is a factor in almost one third of all inquests into drug related deaths in the capital. We have discussions in the Seanad on the increased use of cocaine and the frightening damage, danger and death to which it can lead.
On the crime side, we have seen the Central Statistics Office figures which show a 21% increase in drug offences. This indicates that something serious is happening in terms of access and usage and the resultant health implications and offences. The type of scenario Senator Boyle spoke about is being fuelled by all these factors.
It is very distressing for families when young adults who are drug-addicted find it very difficult to get services. Frequently, one hears of 18 or 20-week waiting lists. If a young person has reached a point where the family can support him or her into treatment, we must seek to ensure it is available. This is far from being the case, as we know, and it certainly is so in Dublin. I am not so familiar with other regions in the country but in my area it is a real problem for families as they try to hold the young person who says he or she is ready for treatment but cannot access it. The lack of inpatient beds for detoxification is also an issue. If we want to support people in giving up drugs, that issue must be looked at as well. I believe cross-party support is available for whatever initiatives are needed in this regard.
Having alternatives for young people is important. The youth café movement, for example, is a great help. A youth café was established recently in my area. It has taken the young people a couple of years to get it up and running because of the work they had to do in terms of premises, resources and agreements. We need a youth plan urgently. Alternatives at an early age so that young people can get involved in sports and community activities, and having safe places where they can meet are clearly important.
The pressure for this debate probably arose from the high-profile deaths before Christmas, in the same way that the initiative to do something about crime stemmed from the killing of Veronica Guerin. Whatever the reason for this debate, I am pleased it is not just focusing on cocaine, heroin, ecstasy or cannabis and includes our drug of choice, alcohol. The Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, which I chaired, produced a large number of reports on these topics, and reviewed the request to have alcohol brought under the National Drugs Strategy. I do not have much time in which to put the few points I want to make, many of which evolved from visiting other countries and meeting experts in each of the fields. There are two key issues concerning all drugs, namely, supply and demand. There is no supply without demand, and that is the most difficult item to deal with.
The introduction of alcohol from a very young age, from ten onwards it seems, often creates major difficulties. By the time a young person has been drinking for two years, he or she finds there is not the same buzz and often resorts to other substances as well. In the past drugs replaced alcohol as it was deemed unsafe to mix them. Now the buzz of the drug is no longer sufficient and we are at a stage where drugs and alcohol are commonly mixed. Many people start with smoking, and then move on to alcohol as well, and thence to habit forming addictive substances. This progression ensures the next step for some — not all — is to another addictive substance.
We must look at demand and how it is culture related. If the culture of an area or class is such that drugs are tolerated or accepted, this will yield its own pressures and results. Drugs are classless and permeate all sections of society at this time. If the culture in an area is such that drugs are not accepted, however, this will yield its own type of pressure and results. In Dublin in the 1980s and 1990s when communities said "No" to drugs, this was seen to have a major impact. Out of this emerged the National Drugs Strategy and perhaps, too, the reluctance to link alcohol with drugs at that time. However, there was a strong movement by the people to say "No" to drugs. Those same people who sought to keep alcohol out of the equation at that time are now begging for its inclusion because alcohol and drugs combined now comprise the issue. One is as difficult an issue as the other.
From the international perspective, we need to look at the source and where they are grown. The debate should focus on whether farmers there should be paid to grow the raw materials and have the crop openly destroyed by a responsible organisation or paid to set aside the land so that the crop is not grown. We must consider major measures such as these. With regard to who pays for it, internationally it would pay us more to support an effort to provide these farmers with a different income. When one considers what they are paid for the drug when it is harvested compared with what it is sold for on the streets, it is much less of an investment and many countries should contribute to this.
Sniffer dogs are not the answer to everything but they are quite significant. If they are as effective as they seem to be, why do we not have more of them? We have fewer than 20 in the country between the Garda Síochána and Customs and Excise, unless the situation has changed since I chaired the committee.
In New Zealand they even have dogs to sniff out fruit. If one flies into New Zealand one will see the dogs at the airport. We arrived very late after a long journey. I approached the handler of a dog who probably wondered what I was doing racing up to ask about their dogs at that hour of the day. I quickly declared I was a Member of Parliament and I was interested in the dogs. I asked whether the dogs were for drugs but they stated while they did have dogs for drugs, the particular dogs they had were there to sniff out apples. In my presence, the dog discovered an apple in a lunch box in someone's hand luggage. The dog did all the actions to prove something was present.
Why are the New Zealand people worried about apples? To them, their agricultural products are very important, as is their good name for agricultural products. They do not want anything entering the country to disturb the equilibrium of their agricultural produce. If they protect at this level for apples at airports, why do we not seek the same protection for our young people by the use of similar measures?
Sniffer dogs have a potential not only at airports but also roaming around with a handler on a street or in green spaces as we have in my area. It sounds over the top to discuss bringing them into discos and pubs but if we are serious about drugs, surely the dogs should be more prevalent and used more at various locations and in spot checks. In Border regions they would be particularly useful.
Recently, I watched a programme on tobacco trafficking and the issue was that people knew a great deal of cigarettes were trafficked into the country and they could discover the people involved and the cigarettes but they could not do much about it. Does this show up gaps in legislation which need to be filled? If we are accessible for illegal cigarettes does the message go out that we are lax about other substances?
I congratulate Customs and Excise, the Garda Síochána, the Minister of State and all involved in the ongoing discoveries. However, I accept we only discover approximately 10% of what comes into the country. Another way of putting it is that it is only a drop in the ocean. Is it time to man the lighthouses again? Recently, a major cargo of drugs was discovered. If the lighthouses were manned to watch for unusual behaviour of vessels or vehicles we would have another arm to our security.
We should resource the Criminal Assets Bureau properly and ensure cross-Border co-operation and that information crosses the Border. This is pertinent in my area. We must take account of those with no visible means of income. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform announced prior to Christmas that he will expand the role of CAB. We will only succeed when we hit in the pockets those making serious money.
We need full co-operation with international police forces and to continue to work with an excellent organisation based in Lisbon. We have strengthened our links to this. Having attended a number of conferences in Brussels dealing with drugs I know the organisation based in Lisbon is internationally recognised as superb at what it does.
People must know this issue is taken seriously and this can be demonstrated through enforcing the mandatory ten-year sentence. I call on judges to explain why they do not impose a mandatory sentence. I thought A plus B equals C. However, it does not seem to work like this.
Alcohol should be taken seriously as it is a gateway as well as a dangerous drug in itself when abused. It affects organs and kills people through enabling or facilitating them to commit suicide or have an accident brought on by being drunk. It also causes serious injury through fighting. We have seen billboards recently which portray medics as stating they do not want to face the drunk abusive person any more. They want to do their jobs in a safe environment.
While it is not popular to state it, only through raising the cost of alcohol will we ensure consumption decreases. In the recent budget, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Cowen, promised that the issue of the cost of alcohol would be examined. However, it must be examined on an all-island basis. In the area I am from, if alcohol becomes more expensive here than it is in the Six Counties we will have massive trafficking of alcohol across the Border.
We should support those with addictions and we do not do it enough. I want more support for drugs task forces. Young people should be given the tools to be able to say "No" to drugs. Ireland is known for its enterprise skills base. Why not have a skills base for society? No Name clubs must be expanded as must the role of sports clubs in demonstrating the virtues of not celebrating everything through drink. I would like to see the GAA supported in what it was doing.
I would also like to see investment in the arts. I heard everyone in the Tallaght band went on to third level education. The discipline the music gave them enabled them to feel part of a team. This decreases isolation and gives people the ability to say "No" if they want to.
I love the idea of enjoying a drink sensibly or responsibly. How can one drink responsibly when one does not know what is in it? We must consider the labelling issue with regard to alcohol, sugar, calorie and fat content. If I want to be responsible when I go on a diet I can do so with food because I am facilitated by the food industry. From the perspective of drinks, however, I cannot do so. I do not know whether one drink has more calories than another or whether one has a higher sugar content than another, which means I cannot drink responsibly.
It is stated that it takes a long time for culture to change. Drink-driving stopped very quickly. We need to introduce more media education. I am not sure whether the voluntary code of conduct is working. I welcome the new initiative by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan, however, which will examine many of these issues.
I am delighted we finally had a chance to exchange our views here even though the time seems short. I could go on all night but I appreciate the forbearance of the Cathaoirleach.
I wish to share time with Senator Norris who will speak first.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
Senator Quinn has kindly allowed me to speak first but I will only do so for two or three minutes. I have a dinner guest and Senator Quinn courteously allowed me not to keep him waiting any longer.
I listened to the debate on the monitor in my office and I believe a certain amount of misinformation has been stated. We must honestly face the facts about drugs. I know a number of people who smoke cannabis regularly and it does not appear to do them the slightest bit of harm. It relaxes them, they do not become violent and they do not take any other type of drugs. They have done this for years. This nonsense about trying to link it to violence is simply that. It is not factual and we ought to face this. A small number of people may experience psychotic episodes or depression and this is the same as with any other substance.
The State must be careful about intervening in these areas. I have stated for a long time that when considered in the cold realistic light of day, what is driving the drugs epidemic is the enormous amounts of money available to criminals. By our actions we are feeding into this system. They way to kill it is to legalise, regulate, control and quality-control.
We cannot legalise psychotic episodes.
However, we cannot do it in this country only. It must be done Europe-wide. One can fight drugs for as long as one likes and we will be fighting them in 100 years' time but we will have made the situation worse.
With regard to alcohol, a schizophrenia or double-think exists. I agree with what Senator Keaveney stated but she was not hard enough on the drinks industry. The Senator made a very useful point on labelling. How can one be careful or prudent? The industry does not give a rattling damn whether one is careful because it is interested in profit. The "Drink Responsibly" slogan is a soft soap and mirage. It is a classic fig leaf because the last thing the industry wants is responsible drinking. It targets young people in the same way the cigarette industry, having been driven out of this country by action, is targeting Africa. We need resolute action and if the Government were serious, it would stop all booze advertising straight away. Having had the courage to take this step in the case of nicotine, it should do so once more with alcohol because advertising spreads the epidemic.
We know what are the factors that drive up alcohol consumption, namely, cheap prices and ease of access. This has been demonstrated by scientific studies all over the world, yet we have this stupid, industry-funded organisation, MEAS — how independent is that? — producing idiotic slogans and doing its best to undermine the professionals and medical experts working in this area.
It is extraordinary that Mr. Prasifka from the Competition Authority is now sticking his nose into this issue. As a member of the policing committee for the north inner city, I raised the issue of licensing as part of our discussion of planning and licensing. I noted that every huckster's shop in the north inner city is stacked to the rafters with gin, wine, whiskey and every damned alcoholic drink one wants. The response I received was that any restriction on this practice would be a restriction on competition, which is not in the interests of citizens. Where did this idea come from? It derives from the fact that at the highest levels we have an ideological commitment to competition which frequently is not in the interests of the ordinary consumer. The case I highlighted is a classic example. The neighbours of the shops in questions, the local police and, in some cases, the city council objected but the shops still have licences. Why? People should be made accountable.
We know consumption declines when taxation increases. Taxation on alcohol was last increased on spirits and the measure led directly to a 20% diminution in the consumption of spirits. In recent years, however, we have not had a single increase in the rate of duty on pints of stout, beer, alcopops and so forth, whereas the profit margin on these products has increased by 50%.
We still have people such as Bill Prasifka objecting on ideologically driven competition grounds to any interference with the practice of selling below cost. In what kind of society does one charge 50 cent for a tin of beer as an inducement? I am utterly opposed to this practice. In a way, I am like Janus in that I am facing both ways. On the one hand, I am a liberal who does not believe what people ingest is the State's business unless it leads to them manifesting bizarre and dangerous behaviour. The reason people manifest such behaviour and batter old ladies is that they are starved of the drugs they want, principally heroin. By demonising cannabis, one does not do justice to the cause.
I do not propose to discuss drugs because I do not know enough about them. However, I disagree with Senator Norris's view on their legalisation. That approach is much too simple, as we have seen elsewhere. The other way to achieve success is to change hearts and minds, as we did in the case of plastic bags. I was interviewed today by the International Herald Tribune about plastic bags and those with whom I spoke were thrilled to learn how attitudes have changed in this regard.
Ireland also has succeeded in changing attitudes to drink-driving, particularly among young people. While there are exceptions, most young people do not drink and drive. We must achieve a similar change in attitude towards alcohol and drugs but this will not be done through legislation alone.
Two years ago while in Salt Lake City my wife and I visited a restaurant with our hosts. When one of us ordered red wine and the other ordered white wine, our hosts told us that this presented a problem because under the city's law one cannot have two bottles of wine on a restaurant table at the same time. We had to drink white wine first and then red wine. Legislation is difficult to enforce but it can be effective, as it has been in the case of plastic bags.
Those in the drinks industry and those trying to encourage people to be more sensible about drinking are operating on an uneven playing field. For the umpteenth time, the old controversy about alcohol advertising is being rehearsed. The anti-alcohol lobby wants drinks advertising banned, while the drinks industry argues that it should be allowed to apply voluntary controls. Both arguments are flawed. A 100% duty should be imposed on all publicity expenses incurred by alcohol companies. This money should be ring-fenced in a fund, which would be used by an independent body to put across an anti-alcohol message to the public. Publicity expenses would cover advertising and promotional bills as well as the administrative cost each company incurs in running a marketing department. It would apply to Irish media expenditure and to an appropriate proportion of expenditure on overseas media whose coverage spills into this market.
At one stroke, this measure would achieve two objectives. It would make available to those who argue against alcohol exactly the same level of resources available to those who promote drink products. Second, since the anti-drink promotion would be controlled by an independent body rather than the drinks lobby, this body would be free to highlight dramatically the downside of excessive drinking which, unsurprisingly, the current industry-sponsored promotional activity does not do.
Spending liable to the 100% publicity duty would extend to sports sponsorship which is widespread and used incongruously to get around the recent restrictions on direct advertising. This would remove at least part of the moral dilemma facing the GAA and other sports bodies which must now sup with the devil to secure the resources they need to develop their respective games. If they knew every euro they received from the drinks industry was matched by a further euro to propagate an anti-drink message, many conscientious members of the GAA would sleep better at night.
Our current approach to this issue is not working and our dependence on drink consumption continues to increase, with negative results on all aspects of society. The question is whether we have the courage to take a decisive step to reverse the process before we are all too sozzled to do anything.
Dr. Joe Barry asked why we have not implemented the findings of the task force on alcohol. Certain steps can be taken. The task force report was issued three or four years ago and we know what must be done. All that is required is courage on the part of the Government which must grasp the nettle and take the action needed.
As Senator Fitzgerald stated, we must change the mindset of the population. We have good examples of achieving this in other areas. We need to take some steps to encourage this change. I do not agree with imposing total bans or with the legalisation and control of drugs, as proposed by Senator Norris. Both views are wrong. Let us see if we can change the hearts and minds of our population.
I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Seán Haughey, to the House. I acknowledge the achievements of the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Pat Carey, in his efforts to minimise the problem of drug abuse.
I do not agree with Senator Norris's view on the legalisation of drugs and I sing from the same hymn sheet as Senator Quinn on many of the issues he raised. We must address the roots of this fundamental problem, for which there is no fixed solution. Why is there such an escalation in the misuse of drugs? Despite prosperity, full employment and a great deal of money in circulation, the increase in our standard of living has a dark side. We have a society in which people are not happy with their lot. We have misery, dysfunctional families, erosion of the fabric of society and questioning of society's structures. I do not want to be negative but these are fundamental reasons there is unhappiness. One way of alleviating it is through the use of drugs.
I acknowledge the work being done through the national drugs strategy to tackle the problem but money is not always the answer. We are bringing together all the elements of the drugs policy in Ireland under a single framework. The strategy deals with supply, prevention, treatment, research and rehabilitation. We already have a framework which refers to the integrated approach involving the community, educationalists, the Department of Health and Children, the Garda Síochána, parents, agencies, the community and voluntary workers. The question is how to integrate all these groups.
I shall speak about the prevention aspect, that is, creating a national awareness programme. That should be done through television, radio, information booklets, targeting schools, parents, better education programmes and better information. Schools must be vigilant. There should be no tolerance threshold whatever in schools while a student is wearing the school uniform. It should be acknowledged that pushers are about while children are on their way to school. When information comes to the school about a student who is dabbling, schools should come down like a ton of bricks on him or her. School policy should be reinforced regularly at every parent-teacher meeting. Parents must play a role. Schools should look to parents for support and co-operation within the community.
Space must be provided in the curriculum for people working with drugs. The target in education today is points in the leaving certificate and a concentration on academic achievement. We all had to go in that direction. Sometimes it is difficult to find slots in the timetable to invite guest speakers on drugs. Programmes must be put in place. We do not want old fogies dressed in collars and ties as guest speakers but people who have dabbled in drugs and came out at the other end. These are the people we want, not people like me, a careers guidance councillor. I could go in and speak about drugs but I do not have the experience of what it is like to have been there and done that.
While parents express concern about the scourge of drugs in society, there is not enough vigilance in regard to knowing where their sons or daughters are or who they are with. Parents must have the gumption to monitor their children's whereabouts. Parents say to me that the problem of drugs is dreadful. There may be a household down the road where a young boy or girl has been dabbling in drugs. We need to become leaders in our community and in society. This is not my issue, rather it is a societal one that affects every one of us. It is not a money issue.
Premises must be put in place in communities and funds must be made available for the provision of sports or recreational services in them for young students. Funds should be available for training initiatives for teachers, councillors and voluntary groups. I compliment the regional and local drugs task forces, all of which are working well. It will fail, however, if we all do not take it into our own hands to help alleviate the problem. It is about goodwill. A Senator said earlier it is a mindset. One has to change the mind and the body thinking on this issue. Otherwise it will creep into every household.
How do we teach our young people to say "No"? It cannot be done when they have reached the age of 18 or 19 years. It must be done from an early age, examples must be set and a model must come from the home in terms of a family life. In my reading of this problem there is no other way. I appreciate that schools are trying hard and are reaching out but it is a societal issue. If every community takes it on itself to work with the teachers, the Garda, the local voluntary groups, the leaders in the community and the doctors, we have some hope. The old saying is that one starts at one's local base and if the local base is right, it will be right up along the ladder.
What programmes can be put in place in our communities and schools to help lure those who have dropped out to come back into play? There are the community employment scheme, the lifelong learning programme and the vocational training opportunities scheme. I compliment the vocational education committees who are reaching out to communities at large and have become aware of the existence of such problems in their midst. That is the way we should go about treatment and rehabilitation. There are no fixed solutions to this problem. We must be flexible in our attitudes and policies as the challenges arise. It is possible to beat it because it is in our nature. As Irish people we never let things get on top of us in a community and we must deal with it in this way. We are all leaders in our communities but parents, families and society must get this right. Money and legislation will not do it but if we all work together we will eradicate this awful scourge in our society.
I welcome the Minister of State to the House. This is an appropriate and worthwhile debate. The first thing we need to give our young people is the confidence to say "No". Therein lies the key. To give young people the confidence to say "No" is to engage in a holistic set of practices from the time children are born. I believe that a State system of preschool education, which may seem far removed from the issue, is an element of the solution to the extent that from early childhood the intervention in children's lives will make them confident and able to feel sufficiently good about themselves that they can say "No" in the crowd. Therein lies the key. The tragedy is the youngster who, because he or she does not have that self-belief and has not built-up and developed confidence and knowledge, is afraid to say "No" and is influenced by peers and goes with the flow. Those who lack confidence and self-belief suffer most in the long term.
Every imaginable strategy, and I do not need to list them all in such a learned assembly, such as preschool intervention and intervention right through the school system should be put in place. Between the Health Service Executive and various Departments youth cafés should be created in every town of reasonable size. I appreciate that some moves are afoot in this area but it needs national development, co-ordination and active promotion. There should be a youth café in every town of reasonable size, a drop-in centre with an infrastructure and facilities such as pool tables, the Internet, appropriate games, a seating area, coffee and soft drink facilities and so on, as well as the discreet presence of professional counsellors who could be accessed by the young people. The provision of such cafés is critical. There is also a compelling case for the provision of skate parks, of which there are none at present in my constituency, as well as running tracks and sports infrastructure. I was heartened to see my local authority recently appoint a sports officer, which is happening in many local authority areas.
The holistic approach to the development and creative support of young people unfortunately needs to be paralleled by active policing. I understand the Minister of State will be proactive in this regard. With his colleagues in Government, he should consider the policing issue. The Government stands condemned in that the drugs squad is not sufficiently large, an area which needs correction. For their small number, drugs squad officers are doing great work but we need a beefed-up drugs squad and increased numbers of young, plain-clothes gardaí going into clubs to maintain a police presence. The greater that presence, the better.
I agree with Senator Keaveney's suggestion that we should have clear labelling of drink to give people a responsible attitude to drinking. The Minister must seriously consider the issues of drinking in the home and binge drinking outside the traditional public house situation. Those of us who grew up in the era of the traditional public house and who are familiar with its way of operating know that a type of moral sanction operated owing to the presence of other people in a pub. There was a closing time and some sort of structure, and drink was relatively expensive, all of which provided some sort of control. Now, with below cost selling, youngsters are coming out of supermarkets with trays of cans and bottles of drink at a very cheap price. It is a serious issue.
I declare an interest in that I previously had an active involvement in the pub trade which I do not currently have in the sense of actively working in one. None the less, a local publican told me over Christmas that he could buy trays of drink cheaper in his local supermarket and make more by selling it in his pub. I see Senator Ellis concurs. That trolleys full of drink are being brought to house parties has serious implications. I ask the Minister to consider curbs in this area, perhaps with regard to the times at which one could not purchase drink in supermarkets, such as during peak weekend times. While the issue of age is being considered, availability is another issue and there is a case for having shuttered areas of off licences so the shutters could be pulled down at certain times. The ease, attractiveness and simplicity of purchasing drink as well as its cheap cost are issues to be considered.
Drink advertising is a vexed question. Although I am no expert, I feel we would be better not having such advertising. I do not know the degree to which this would help but it should be considered.
The drug culture that has developed is a tragedy and one of the major issues in contemporary society. Despite addressing all of the issues with regard to personal development, policing, youth cafés, labelling and the availability of drink, none of us likes to get into the question of the decline of traditional religion and morality and the rise of a kind of epicureanism, hedonism or a belief in or need for pleasure as a substitute for core beliefs. This is not something that can be addressed at a political level but the lack of spirituality is a problem. While it is not our brief to deal with this problem, it is at the core of these difficulties.
This is a complex and serious issue. I am aware of the points made in the debate and there is no logic in repeating them other than to give my personal view. In summary, we need investment in youth cafés and sports infrastructure and an emphasis on the pastoral care of youngsters. We must address the issue of labelling, advertising and the availability of drink as well as the upgrading of the drugs squad in terms of numbers and resources. We need plain-clothes police at all public functions that young people attend. It is sad to say it, but it is a necessity and the good that will accrue from this will far outweigh any costs.
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, to the House for this important debate. We do not realise the type of social problems being created for our young people and among families by alcohol and drugs abuse.
Senator O'Reilly has pre-empted me in some of his comments but I reiterate that off-licences have become a problem. We know many rural pubs have disappeared and their licences have been sold for off-licences at petrol stations and other premises. This has had a detrimental effect on social life in rural Ireland. As we knew it, the rural pub was a place where many young people learned to drink. If they got out of order, the mammy or daddy knew it before they were home. Locals would try to keep them under control and educate them in how to use alcohol. Education is the first issue we must consider in dealing with alcohol, drugs or cigarettes — they are all drugs and must be treated with contempt perhaps, or the sternness that is needed to deal with such substances.
Another new phenomenon is the rise of drinking in the home. Some people in rural Ireland no longer feel safe going to the pub owing to the drink driving laws, although none of us would suggest leniency for those who drink and drive. However, as people cannot go to the pub, they bring the alcohol to the house. We all know a house measure is about three times a pub measure — we have all had to suffer when a householder offers a glass that contains enough for a night's drinking. Alcohol is now being taken home and a much greater volume is being consumed than if people were in the pub or drinking socially. People feel secure because they do not have to drive home. If they want an extra drink, it does not matter and they hope the effect will have worn off before they drive the next day.
We do not take enough time to consider the issue of young people and alcohol. Many young people feel they have not been out drinking if they do not get stoned. This is a result of a lack of education. There is a need for schools to educate students when they reach transition year — in fact, many are drinking long before they reach transition year. We must accept that if they want to obtain alcohol they will do so, but we must educate them on its use and the dangers it can pose in later life if abused. We have all seen people who have been destroyed by alcohol as well as others who have taken on the challenge, won and moved on with their lives. It all comes down to education. We must show our young people that while it is grand to have two or three pints, they must think hard about the consequences, both for themselves and those around them, if they decide to drink 13 or 14 pints. The big problem is that alcohol is being purchased in off-licences by older people for under age drinkers. That should worry us all. Most towns and villages have an area where young people go to drink alcohol which has been bought for them at the off-licence.
Senator O'Reilly referred to the availability of cheap drink, which is a major problem. In some cases one can buy drink at an off-licence for a third of the price in a bar or disco. That must be tackled. There is a case to be made for preventing under-cost selling of alcohol. Publicans say it is impossible for them to buy alcohol at supermarket prices. Some supermarkets are selling alcohol as loss-leader products and that needs to be addressed. People may say that nothing can be done because we must have competition, but when it causes social problems we have a right to examine the matter.
We can all see the glamorisation of alcohol in advertising sporting or social events. The drink industry's sponsorship of major sporting occasions, with logos appearing everywhere, provides an accepted profile that basically says it is trendy to be involved with drink from such companies. Guinness sponsors the GAA championships, while rugby has the Heineken Cup and other major sporting events also attract alcohol sponsorship. Senator Quinn was right to say that money spent on drink advertising should not be eligible for tax relief. If such relief was dropped the amount spent on promotion by drink companies would be seriously reduced. The percentage of drink industry profit margins that goes back into advertising is phenomenal. While such a change might have a detrimental effect on the advertising industry, we must examine this matter. The drink industry itself must become responsible for the costs borne by the State in treating alcohol-related problems. We have seen the positive effect of the smoking ban and, while it may not have reduced smoking that much, it has raised awareness of the dangers involved.
The biggest scourge is the drugs problem. A combination of drugs and alcohol has become a common cause of death among young people both here and abroad. Drugs are available at every street corner and while people know exactly who is pushing them they do not have the courage to tell the Garda authorities, even anonymously. People think that if it does not affect them it is none of their business. We have a responsibility to persuade people who are drunk not to drive, but a blind eye is being turned to drug abuse. Certain people — and they are not all on the bottom rung of society——
Hardly any of them are on the bottom rung.
——see it as trendy to be regularly involved in cocaine use, which is frightening. Cocaine sniffing has now become almost as acceptable as snuff was in the early 1900s. We must tackle this problem. Everyone can say who is using it and who is pushing it. In fact, certain sections of our society are very much involved in the transportation and pushing of drugs in the community. They will have to be targeted by any means at the disposal of the Garda Síochána. In turn, gardaí must get full support from the public to put an end to drug abuse. Citizens have a responsibility to do so, although many prefer to turn a blind eye. There is sufficient legislation to deal with this problem but it must be used to good effect. When someone is fined only €50 for possessing ecstasy it makes one think. It is not what one expects. There are severe sentences for drug pushing but they are not implemented on many occasions because the Judiciary wishes to exercise its discretion, which is its prerogative.
As with alcohol, education is required to combat drug abuse. People who have suffered from alcohol and drugs should be asked to explain to secondary school pupils the dangers involved.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss the growing problems of alcohol and drug misuse. I agree with virtually everything Senator Ellis has said, including his statement that sufficient legislation is in place to tackle the spiralling problem. However, insufficient resources are being provided to the Garda Síochána and other agencies trying to curb illegal drug abuse. For some time there has been a growing view that the Government should consider the possibility of banning drink advertising and sponsorship. Originally, I did not support that position but I think there is a strong case to be made for it now. A number of years ago we banned sponsorship and advertising by tobacco companies. Something similar needs to be put in place for the alcohol industry. I realise it would have knock-on effects for sporting bodies but we must break the association between drink and sport, which glamorises alcohol. Senator Ellis's point in that regard is correct. The first step might be to ban sponsorship of sporting events by drink companies.
Pubs are the focus of the community in many rural areas.
In recent years, many services have been abolished and the only outlet in many villages is the public house and even they have become more scarce in the past few years. Alternatives to the public house must be provided, particularly for young people. Most Oireachtas Members have been involved in voluntary organisations and we are all familiar with the reality in rural areas. The only venue in which a voluntary organisation can run an event is a public house. Recently, in a village near where I live, a presentation of medals to an under 14 team had to take place in the local bar because it was the only public building in which it could take place. Something as simple as that places the focus of the community too much on the public house and that is not good. We must think of ways to break that relationship.
I do not agree with those who contend the Government should fix the price of alcohol. There is no reason the ordinary decent drinker who does not engage in anti-social behaviour or abuse alcohol should pay for the minority who do. A move to increase prices artificially would be wrong and would not be the correct way to solve the problem. I have long been a proponent of a ban on the sale of alcopops. I have drunk the odd alcopop, which is very easy to drink. It is virtually like drinking lemonade. Generally I do not favour draconian measures such as banning particular products, but something needs to be done about alcopops. They are targeted at under age drinkers and the reality is that drinking half a dozen alcopops tastes the same as drinking half a dozen bottles of 7 Up but the effect is somewhat different.
Speakers have referred to the problems caused by the abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs. Suicide is a problem which has not been adequately addressed. Youth suicide is a particular issue and there is a direct relationship between substance abuse and suicide rates. If we are serous about tackling the suicide problem, measures must be put in place to tackle these abuses.
On the issue of illegal drugs, I had the dubious distinction of being present in Waterford Regional Hospital when the two young men who died from cocaine use were brought in. My father died that evening and I was leaving the hospital via the accident and emergency department, which was empty at the time. I was a little distracted and I recall passing through the waiting area, where I was presented by an horrific scene. Nobody in the waiting area had a physical problem but their friends had been transferred to the main hospital and it was a shocking scene with a great deal of screaming and roaring and upset. Their deaths brought to the forefront the increasing problem of the abuse of illegal substances. Senator Ellis is absolutely correct that illegal substances can be bought in virtually every village in the State. They are available at every crossroads and nobody should doubt that.
The issue is how to counteract this problem. Policing strategies alone will not solve it. We must try to influence people's behaviour. Security should be increased along our seaboard. A number of my relatives live in west Cork near the spot where the massive drugs find took place last year. They told me that 15 years ago they gave information to the authorities about strange movements in the area in the middle of the night. They lived on a cul-de-sac beside the sea and nine or ten cars would travel up and down the boreen at 2 a.m. Ireland has a lengthy coastline which presents a difficulty, but the State is falling down badly in providing a security presence. The Government needs to protect and secure our shores.
Senator Ormonde referred to the role of families. A garda or customs officer cannot be deployed on every street corner but the education system could be given an enhanced role in helping young people to make the correct decision to stay away from illegal substances. Not enough is being done in this regard. I agree with Senator Ellis that the increase in drugs abuse in recent years has become socially acceptable in middle and upper class Ireland. He is correct that many of those taking drugs are not on the bottom rung of the socio-economic ladder. It must first be identified where the problem lies before it can be resolved. The education system has an important role in this regard, while the security forces also have a role in protecting our coastline. However, the most important role must be taken on by families to ensure young people do not find themselves in a position where they take illegal substances. This is not an easy problem to solve and I wish the Minister of State and his colleagues all the best in their work.
I welcome the Minister of State to the House. We were both in Darndale earlier where he launched a project. We are all proud of Darndale and the Minister of State has done a great deal of work in the area. The project involves the restoration of a Volkswagen van. Drug abuse was a major problem in Darndale and the north east drugs task force was established in the area. I compliment those running the task force on the tremendous work they have done. As Senator Phelan said, prevention is important. Thankfully, many drugs after care centres have been set up in Dublin North East. The centre in Kilbarrack is managed by Marian Clarke and Michael Finn and they do excellent work. It is very important to support them, because without them the problem would be 100 times worse. They have achieved a great deal of success.
Senator Ellis referred to the problem of alcohol abuse. I attended a party on Dame Street a few weeks prior to Christmas. One young fellow at the bar ordered six drinks costing €122. I asked the man sitting beside me, who worked in the building industry, what was in the drinks. He said they were triple vodkas and Red Bull and they cost half the week's wages of the young fellow who had ordered them. That gives some indication of the education needed at primary level.
Drink has been glamorised to a degree, and sponsorship in particular should be curtailed. This Christmas, I witnessed eight to 12 year old children with cans of bulmers going absolutely bananas on the street. One wonders how much attention their parents are paying them. Television presenters and others in the media also have a role to play. It is unacceptable that a television presenter can say it is all right to take recreational drugs because doing so sends the wrong signal.
Senator O'Reilly, who referred to these issues, had a pub which I visited on many occasions. He ran his business in a responsible manner. Years ago, customers could not order triple vodkas from publicans until they fell off their feet. In those days, publicans were responsible. I worked in pubs on the northside of the city and if a publican assumed that a customer had drank enough alcohol, he or she served no more. That is no longer the case.
The Garda has done a tremendous job in terms of the confiscation of drugs and most gardaí will attest they have sufficient resources to do their jobs. I congratulate the force on the significant success it has achieved in Dublin North.
Another issue pertaining to drugs is that 19% of the population of the country are on legal drugs, including prescription medicine and anti-depressants. We should seek statistics from the coroners courts regarding the number of accidents that occur as a result of people consuming legal drugs. Any legal drug that alters one's mind gives rise to problems which should be investigated. We should not solely focus on cocaine and heroin. We seldom see television advertisements warning about the danger of driving motor vehicles under the influence of illegal or legal drugs.
Senator Ellis referred to the amount of alcohol consumed by some young people. Education in that regard is needed at an early stage in the school system. When I attended primary school, officials from the health board visited us to warn of the dangers of smoking. Such education no longer takes place. Prevention is the key to the matter.
I compliment the Dublin north east drugs task force and the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey. A friend of mine, Larry O'Toole, sits on the task force and does tremendous work. He has been on the wrong end of the stick on many occasions but he has great courage. I also commend the Kilbarrack drug project and Marion Coyle, who is now Marion Clarke. Unfortunately, certain politicians in the area disagree with her because of her background but I have no problems in that regard. She is a great person and I do not worry about anybody's background because many people have reformed after experiencing difficulties in their earlier lives. It is great to see somebody like her doing a good job because her work is important for the children of the area.
I am pleased we are holding this debate, which reflects on many communities across the island of Ireland. A number of Senators referred to alcohol and drug abuse, which is prevalent in every townland in the Republic. We have to face that reality.
In my role as a public representative and particularly since becoming a Senator, I have liaised with many parents, school teachers and principals, third-level educators and people in the world of sport. Their concerns about drug abuse seem to increase as the months pass. Our society is being targeted by those who push drugs and bring them through our ports and borders from mainland Europe and further afield to ruin the lives of families and the health of young people. A lot is being done by the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Carey, in this area.
The National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008 contains several good proposals, including the establishment of 14 local and ten regional drugs task forces. One such task force, the north-west regional drugs task force, is based in my area. The five pillars of responsibility for the task forces are supply reduction, prevention of drug abuse, treatment, rehabilitation and research.
Drugs are a major problem in regional and small towns as well as in large cities. Members of the Garda Síochána find it particularly difficult to address the issue because of the number of new strands that continually arise. During the last quarter of 2007, the issue of drugs rose to national attention because prominent figures lost their lives due to misuse. The issue affects many people in society.
I concur with other Senators that the issue cannot solely be addressed by the Garda Síochána. We have to consider a wider spectrum. The drugs task forces, the Departments of Education and Science and Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs are working together on the issue but we need to address the misuse of drugs at an early stage.
Debate adjourned.
When is it proposed to sit again?
Tomorrow at10.30 a.m.