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THE DIRECTOR OF the Ana Liffey Drug Project has rejected suggestions that the drug problem in Dublin’s city centre has gotten worse, saying rather that it has moved and changed, as is the nature of the illegal drugs industry.
A report featured in last night’s RTÉ Prime Time suggested the scale of drug-taking and anti-social behaviour in the city during the day time has increased. Garda detection numbers for sale and possession of drugs are up significantly but Ana Liffey’s Tony Duffin told TheJournal.ie that this does not necessarily mean things are worse now.
“For me anyway, from our experience, I wouldn’t agree that things have gotten worse – I think things have changed,” he said. “The street drug market has shifted around. The guards have clamped down on it in the inner city and so you’ve got this notion of dispersal. The [Prime Time] report had owners from two businesses on the Southside who have been affected by this because now it’s more visible in other areas.”
Drug trends themselves have changed too in the city, as Duffin explained a recent surge in people injecting drugs that were sold as crystal meth and are in fact different forms of stimulants and hallucinogenics.
“People’s behaviour on those can be quite challenging,” he said. “And then you’ve got the proactive policing of the drugs market at street level which moves things around. It’s very fluid, it’s a black market so it response to what’s happening and we need to try to respond to that.”
Though Duffin conceded there can sometimes be little empathy for the plight of addicts, he stressed that the best solution for this problem lies in helping these people to be safe and to eventually overcome their dependence on drugs or alcohol.
There’s a need for the central government to invest in treatment and rehabilitation for people. That treatment should be person-centred and accessible. But we need a joined approach, we at Ana Liffey work with gardaí and that needs to happen across the board – a joint up approach.
Like others working in this area, he said injection centres would be a considerable resource, as well as residential crisis stabilsation units.
“We want to make sure people are safe while using drugs and, while doing that, constantly look to treat and rehabilitate them so they can stabilise, become drugs free and live a safer, healthier life,” he added.
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Energy drinks are muck anyway but when you see 6 & 7 year olds bringing lucozade isotonic to school because they are not allowed fizzy drinks you hav3 to wonder about the parent’s ability to parent. A strong direct and hard hitting ad campain is required.
It’s not rocket science ! Some parents need a good dose of cop on these days !
Lucozade is recommended by my daughters diabetic team to treat her low blood glucose. I hope they account for those children who need it for treatment.
Aspartame is a lab built sugar substitute that wasn’t tested correctly and release prematurely by the FDA in the states.
Have (WHO) done an independent research into aspartame, have a suspicion that they are in the pocket of big business anyway.
Google candarell, in relation to its licence granting by the FDA, it set standards that are flawed and still used today.
Aspartame has been deemed safe for human consumption by over 100 regulatory agencies in their respective countries, including the US Food and Drug Administration, UK Food Standards Agency, the European Food Safety Authority and Health Canada. It is safe but has been subject of internet hoaxes. I know I’m going to get a lot of abuse for referencing Wikipedia, but if you check the 85 references at the bottom of the page, you’ll see it’s based on science not fiction, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame
Red bull doesn’t literally give you wings.
Thanks for letting me know. I was just on my way to sue them
Good for lithuania !
All CSDs are muck with no nutritional value. But remember everything in moderation.
More laws! Justifies these idiots salaries.
I think they should put an age limit on selling them was in Glasgow last year and they have an age limit on selling Big Mac you have to be over 16 why not do something like that here
Just drink water ffs!
Blame whatever gets the gov of the hook with their incessant hardship policies on the people of the country
So it’s not the excessive alcohol or drugs which leads to the health problems or suicides! It’s the energy drinks!
Wow, our capacity to ignore the obvious is just startling.
I get your point,but when someone commits suicide it’s not quite clear cut to the reasons why,every avenue should be explored.
Surely making someone pre-disposed to suicide a criminal would make it worse?
And drugs and alcohol making people suicidal is questionable, these people tend to have underlying issues.
That’s all very well but medium rare striploin with sautéed onion, pepper sauce and chunky chips. Mmmmmm.
Sorry. Posted in wrong story. I’m an idiot.
If safefood want to do something, they should demand that ALL ingredients are listed on products and not hidden by converting to energy values.
No don’t ban them. Why make laws to cover up bad parenting.
have your say