TONIGHT’S RTÉ PRIME Time featured a special report on the scale of drug taking and anti-social behaviour in Dublin city during the daytime, which it says has increased of late.
The show presented scenes of people openly taking drugs, with one particular man seen smoking either heroin or crack cocaine in a phone box.
According to RTÉ, gardaí made a total of 567 detections for possessing drugs for sale and supply were made by gardaí so far this year. This figure has more than trebled in the first eight months of this year compared to the same time last year.
Garda figures also show that the offence of ‘simple possession’ or possession of drugs for personal use has also seen an increase. 561 people were caught for ‘simple possession’ in Dublin from January to August this year, compared to 273 for same time last year.
The report carried comments from a number of businessowners in the city centre, who say this behaviour is detrimental to their business and to tourism in the city. One commented that the number of gardaí patrolling in Dublin has diminished and this is evidenced by the selling, buying and taking of drugs in the city.
Elaine Forsythe of the Bray Community Addiction Team said the solution may be to look outside the box, perhaps to injection rooms, where people can be accessed at the height of their addiction.
We want to know what you think. Does a solution lie in stronger garda enforcement, further investment in support services, education or in something new?
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