User:jackiebolandDate:16/11/2007 Time:18:27:21Edition:20/11/2007 ExSupplement XS2011DRUGSPage:1Color:

XS1 - V1

A SPECIAL INVESTIGATION NOVEMBER 20, 2007 User:jackiebolandDate:16/11/2007 Time:19:01:11Edition:20/11/2007 ExSupplement XS2011DRUGSPage:2 Color:

OVERVIEW

GLANCE through reports from published a report detailing the problem. Activists say there are still lengthy waiting lists for the coroners’ courts gives a quick Deaths directly attributed to alcohol have doubled treatment in certain areas. They point out if there insight into the problem. in the last ten years. Alcohol-related admissions to is a window of opportunity where an addict wants INSIDE Karen Power and David Dunne hospital are up 90%. One in five of the under 30s help there must be immediate access to treatment. A were a young couple with their life admitted for alcohol-related reasons have liver dis- Key aims of the drugs strategy have not been ahead of them as a family. ea s e. met. These include the two central supply objec- They had only recently christened their The market is being saturated with alcohol, and tives: “To significantly reduce the volume of illicit 4 and 5 nine-week-old son, Callum. cheaper alcohol. drugs available in Ireland” and “to significantly re- The couple, from in west , The onward march of heroin across the country is duce access to all drugs”. The alarming growth in heroin and were staying at a hotel in in August a slow burning crisis. As in Dublin, it is grabbing a While gardaí and customs have exceeded their 2006 after attending a wedding. hold in disadvantaged areas. target — to increase the volume of drugs seized by cocaine use in Dún Laoghaire and Kerry The Dublin City Coroner’s Court heard they had The spread has been pushed by a sharp rise in the 50% by 2008 — drug availability and accessibility gone back to their room to take cocaine after the supply of the drug from abroad. have not fallen. fe s t iv i t ie s . There were record hauls of heroin in 2006, with Much of this is outside the State’s control. Global Karen, aged just 25, suffered a fatal overdose. the seizure of 128kgs. This was four times the production of drugs, particularly cocaine and hero- 6 and 7 David, 26, overwhelmed by despair, flung himself off the balcony and plunged six floors to his death. Talking to mothers whose families have Last September, the same court heard how two young friends, John Kinlan, aged 21 and Amy Kin- The drug crisis is real. It is time for the been devastated by drugs sella, aged 18, died in May 2006 after Kinlan lost control of the car he was driving. The youth Government to act, says Cormac O’Keeffe had taken a cocktail of drugs, including cocaine, ec- stasy and alcohol. 8 and 9 In the same month, the court heard how Annette Lawlor, aged 22 and from Leixlip, Co Kildare, died amount seized the previous year. More than 80kgs in, is up. Kim was just a year out of school with from toxic levels of alcohol after a night out with of the drug have been seized so far this year. This does not mean law enforcement activities friends in Leixlip and Dublin city centre in October Limerick gangs are involved in trafficking heroin don’t have an impact. Indeed, more can be done. her life before her when she died 2006. and are also supply towns like Clonmel and Tralee Drug units in some areas are too small and mem- Last month, Cork Coroner’s Court heard how as well as Cork and Galway cities. bers can be taken off drug duties and put on other 27-year-old Anthony Staunton, originally from Co Earlier this year, 11 suspected heroin dealers were inve s t iga t ion s . Mayo, died at a Simon homeless hostel last Christ- arrested in Galway. In the communities worst affected, people are not 10 and 11 mas after smoking heroin. There has been a rise in heroin deaths and arrests seeing local dealers (who are plying their trade A week previously, Limerick Coroner’s Court was in Cork. Recently, Cork had its first one kilo openly) being harassed. How to recognise the various drugs told that Kenneth Kelly, aged 22 and from St Mary’s seizure of heroin — not a good sign. They want to see the Criminal Assets Bureau tar- Park, died in Limerick Prison after smoking heroin. Court cases in Cork and Limerick highlight the geting their wealth. used and know the damage they cause These six inquests sum up the main drug prob- involvement of African nationals in the supply and More importantly, they want community polic- lems facing Ireland: cocaine, polydrug use, alcohol street sale of heroin. ing. They want to see gardaí present in their area. abuse and the spread of heroin. A Government rehabilitation report published They see the need for gardaí to make contact 12 and 13 The amount of cocaine coming into the country earlier this year said while the number of new hero- with the younger generations, as early as possible. has risen sharply in the last four years, with 32kgs in in addicts seeking treatment for the first time in But they know that gardaí can only do so much. Is Cork burying its head in the sand 2002 and 190kgs in 2006. Dublin fell between 1998 and 2005 (from 889 to With just a year left in the drugs strategy, many That trend is reflected in treatment data, with a 438), the number outside Dublin jumped by almost schools in task force areas still don’t have drug pre- about its drug problem? 900% rise in number of people seeking assistance 500% (from 71 to 413). It said this presented “major vention programmes. Early school leaving is still a between 1999 and 2005. challenges” in terms of treatment and rehabilitation. significant problem in these areas. These youngsters Provisional figures show nearly 2 tonnes of co- The State’s response to drugs is contained in the disproportionately end up problem drug users. 14 and 15 caine have been seized so far this year — the biggest National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008. It built on the Why has education and prevention not worked? annual haul in the State’s history. work of the 14 local drugs task forces — 12 in Research has shown education and prevention The rewards are enormous, but murder While there are no official figures, reports from Dublin, one in Cork and one in Bray. programmes may only change people’s attitudes, but inquests strongly indicate a sharp rise in cocaine-re- The task forces bring together the state agencies not their actual behaviour. rules the drug trade lated deaths. Cocaine crosses all classes. — health, gardaí and education — with community Some research argues that drug usage is, to vary- Not surprisingly, the impact is at its worst in dis- and voluntary groups. ing degrees, a rite of passage for many young peo- advantaged areas of Dublin. It is here that intra- The strategy identifies five main pillars of work: ple. venous cocaine use is destroying individuals and supply, prevention, treatment, research and rehabili- Experimentation with drugs, particularly 16 and 17 families. Community groups say the impact is worse tation. cannabis, is now a “normal” part of growing up, than the heroin epidemics of the 1980s and 1990s. The strategy has been widely praised by commu- they say. The reality of drug use on the ground in The physical impact is worse, the psychological nity and voluntary groups and by EU institutions. Surveys show the bulk of drug takers are experi- addiction is worse and unlike heroin, there is no There has been a considerable rise in the number mental or occasional users. Tipperary and Offaly methadone. The financial debt is also worse. Many of addicts being treated, from 5,000 in 2000 to The last population survey found that 26% of addicts are resorting to crime, prostitution and deal- 8,500 now. young people aged between 15 and 34 had taken ing, while those who cannot pay are subject to There has been significant public expenditure on drugs. But only 10% had taken a drug within the beatings, shootings and even murder. drugs, with more than g 200 million spent in 2006 last year and just 5% within the last month. Most of 18 Families of addicts are considered legitimate tar- alone. these had taken cannabis and no other drug. gets by dealers and moneylenders. More than 440 local projects are funded, employ- This suggests that education programmes need to Why alcohol is a gateway to drugs for Crack cocaine is also a growing problem. ing 650 people. In addition, 470 facilities and ser- distinguish between experimental and occasional use Polydrug use, or the consumption of different vices have been set up through the Young People’s of drugs and problem use of drugs. many teenagers drugs, is considered by many activists, and drugs Facilities and Services Fund. This does not mean there are no health problems strategy minister Pat Carey, as one of the biggest But there have been trenchant criticisms from associated with experimental or occasional use. problems in the country. community groups that the State has taken its “foot But if education campaigns assume all users are At the hard end of drug use, polydrug use re- off the pedal” in recent years. addicts and contradict the experiences of users they 19 volves around heroin, methadone, cocaine, alcohol, They claim the State has failed to: will lack credibility and fail. benzodiazepines (tranquillisers), sleeping pills and ■ Heed warnings, from 2002 onwards, of an im- Minister Carey has said he wants to push the issue Should drugs be legalised — the cannabis. pending cocaine crisis, particularly in Dublin. of education and provide “discreet” services to at- For recreational users, alcohol and cocaine, is one ■ Respond to the spread of heroin. tract more people with drug problems to seek help. arguments for and against of the most common combinations, with cannabis ■ Set up, resource and staff regional drug task There are other signs of hope. As this supplement often in the mix. forces with greater speed. shows, there are great projects out there and amaz- A related trend here is the growth in the supply, ■ Sufficiently boost garda resources to combat local ing individuals driving them. 20 and use, of herbal cannabis — which is stronger drug dealing and expand the number of community Many are parents of children who have died or than resin — with more than a tonne seized this policing fora. who are battling with addiction. Cormac O’Keeffe talks to an addict year, compared to 290kgs last year. ■ Fully implement prevention programmes in Some of them took to the streets in the mass Many experts still emphasise that alcohol remains schools. campaigns of 1996. This, along with murder of about her 14-year battle with drugs our single biggest drug problem. ■ Increase the dire lack of residential rehabilitation journalist Veronica Guerin, forced the State to act A few weeks ago, the Health Research Board places and structured after-care (now promised). then.

Editor: John O’Mahony Design: Jackie Boland Front cover: Mareike Graepel Graphics: Der Ahern 2 NOVEMBER 20, 2007 TERAPROOF:User:jackiebolandDate:16/11/2007 Time:17:56:26 Edition: 20/11/2007 ExSupplement XS2011DRUGSPage: 3 Zone:XS1

A USER’S STORY RECOVERY A news report turned into a 10-month journey with Rachael

ACHAEL KEOGH simply the hope Rachael would be hospi- broke down when she found it diffi- was a “role model” for all acutely ad- couldn’t stop using drugs. talised. I had read Rachael’s story in cult to cope. dicted persons. She didn’t receive pro- R She told me: “I literally one of the tabloids. I was so surprised We spent a lot of time in Dublin bation or a conviction, and he con- can’t get out of the bed at the state of her arms and wondered Rachael’s arms were city centre filming on the boardwalk gratulated Rachael on her efforts to without heroin in my system.” She how anyone could do that to them- where most of the addicts hang out. I rehabilitate herself. was dying from heroin addiction selves, but at that time I didn’t know a destroyed from injecting, hadn’t really noticed these people be- It was a wonderful experience when I first interviewed her in July whole lot about drug addiction, or fore, but soon found myself chatting working with Rachael Keogh. She has 2006. The 26-year-old from what Rachael was going through. but Alison O’Reilly and getting to know them, many of proved you can achieve anything if in Dublin had been caught up in the We both got on from the start. We whom were homeless. This was a you put your mind to it. grips of drug abuse for 14 years and sat down and did our interview. My witnessed a rebirth whole new world to me. I was sad- I continue to support Rachael and didn’t have the strength to fight her report was aired on Sky News in dened by it all but also grateful I never we have remained very good friends demons anymore. Britain, At the time I was working in fell into the world of drug abuse — who look out for one another. I never Rachael and her family knew it was the Ireland office in Dublin. The re- ment facilities in Dublin and try to take heroin, it’s so overwhelming it’s which could happen to anyone. saw Rachael as a heroin addict, just a only a matter of time before her body port received a huge reaction, and by understand why Rachael wasn’t get- very hard to stop, it takes away all Rachael finally got a detox bed at girl with a lot of potential who really gave up. She told me she was better that evening five top magazines con- ting the proper treatment she needed. your cares”. Cherry Orchard Hospital in Ballyfer- wanted help, asked for it, and got it, off dead. tacted me trying to organise an inter- There are approximately 13,000 Rachael put so much pressure on mot and emerged drug free six weeks even t u all y . Her arms were destroyed from in- view with Rachael. drug addicts in Dublin alone and only herself to get clean. She never stopped later. It was just before she entered jecting. The veins in her body had The next day she was arrested over 20 detox beds. The first step when trying going from the methadone Keltoi rehabilitation programme in the ■ ‘My Way Back, Rachael’s Story’ collapsed and she was now injecting eight outstanding shoplifting charges trying to get off drugs is a stabilisation clinic and then to see her counsellor. Phoenix Park that she really opened will be aired on Sky News over into capillaries which weren’t strong and sent to prison for a week. I had or methadone programme. What started out as a news report up to me about her feelings of hurt Christmas. It shows Rachael studying enough to handle the heroin, so the already made one documentary and Every day Rachael works on a 12 slowly turned into a 10 month jour- and despair. I think she was now at Trinity College as well as giving citric acid had burned huge holes in asked my producers at Sky if we could step programme. “Imagine feeling like ney filming Rachael’s battle to get ready to face her fears and get well. drugs awareness talks at schools. It her arms. follow her story — to which they you are wrapped up in cotton wool. clean. She remained positive through Earlier this year, Judge Cormac will also feature cult singers Damien Her mother Lynda released shock- ag r eed. You feel so safe, like no one can hurt sheer grit and determi- Dunne acquitted Rachael on eight Dempsey, and Christy Dignam of ing pictures of the open wounds in I decided to investigate drug treat- you. That’s what it’s like when you nation, but often counts of shoplifting and said she Aslan. DEPTHS OF DESPAIR TO A NEW LIFE

Recovering heroin addict Rachael Keogh says the fear of relapse will always be with her

O THINK this time last could never understand why they would went from year I was attending Trinity want to live such a boring life when being a Court methadone clinic and they could do what I was doing and feel model child one year on I’m a student in the way I was feeling. with lots of T the Trinity Access Pro- It wasn’t long before someone offered potential to gramme at Trinity College. me heroin to come down off the ecsta- somebody who How my life has changed. I’m expecting s y. had to lie, steal my baby in March and everyone in the At 13, smoking the drug became my and manipulate family is very excited. daily routine. I started off by taking a in order to get It’s hard to believe how far I’ve come. couple of lines, thinking I was com- the only thing It’s not that long ago I was living in a pletely in control. As each day passed that mattered to grotty flat surrounded by syringes, having my tolerance became lower and lower. me, heroin. I was to shoplift against my own will to feed my I fell in love with the feeling of being still only 15. habit. I had no hope for the future and I wrapped up in cotton wool. My addic- My family were at was convinced that my next destination tion had rapidly progressed and within their wit’s end and did was death. two years I found myself with a syringe everything in their power My weight had plummeted to seven in my hand. I used to look at older to try and help me, including stone; my arms were covered in open heroin addicts injecting and I remember taking me to various GPs, counselling sores which I was injecting into repeated- thinking “that’ll never happen to me”. services and Trinity Court Methadone ly. Most of the veins in my body collapsed Little did I know. Clinic, where we were told I wouldn’t so I was injecting into anywhere I could. Back then there was very little aware- be recognised as a drug addict because of my age. I knew I had a problem but my fears wouldn’t allow me to let go of the drugs. They were like my suit of ar- mour. And because of that, the years ‘B’ efore I knew it, I was 26 and flew by. I remained addicted to heroin, I was a familiar face in Mountjoy Prison and I was taking any drugs I could get it was either get clean or die. I my hands on. I was lost; I was stuck in a time warp. Rachael Keogh in Trinity had gone as far as I could go Before I knew it, I was 26 and it was College Dublin, were she either get clean or die. I had gone as far has enrolled in a course as I could go. and, above left, the arms My story became known all over the she almost lost at the country and my rotting arms were pho- height of her addiction. ‘’ tographed in every paper. I was Rachael Pictures: Paul Sharp; Collins I was so ashamed of the state of my arms ness about drug addiction and its ef- Keogh, ‘the face of heroin’. that I wouldn’t even show other addicts. fects and besides that, I was living in After a long time of fighting red tape My whole life revolved around my next Ballymun, the drugs capital of Ireland and refusals, I got my detox bed and af- fix. I was addicted to heroin. I never as- at the time. Most of us were doing it. ter becoming drug-free, eventually a pired to being a drug addict but after 14 In my mind it was all fun and games, place in rehabilitation became available. years of chronic drug addiction, I was liv- I had no idea what I was getting my- Although being medically detoxed also wanted to highlight to lack of The icing on the cake for me was diction on a regular basis and this is ing a hell on earth. self into. I hid the problem from my (cold turkey) was a nightmare, this was treatment facilities and long waiting being accepted into the TAP pro- what people don’t know. At 12, I started going to various different family but the worse I got, the harder the easy part. My suit of armour was lists in this country for drug addicts. gramme in Trinity College. It was a Just because you’re free of drugs raves and parties with my friends. Taking it became to disguise. gone and it was time to face up to my Another reason for doing the dream come true. I have now be- you’re not free of the fear of relapse. ecstasy back then was the norm. Although By then, I was already in the grip of own demons. I had filmed the last year documentary for Sky News was to come one of those people who I still have to attend my aftercare I was still at school at this time most of my my addiction and there was nothing and a half of my life and I was now remind myself of all I had been have what I thought was a boring programme once a week and I re- energy went into thinking about the my family or I could do. I spent my ready to show it to the world. through and what I had achieved. lifestyle, in college at 9am, working ceive one to one counselling on a weekend ahead and taking as many pills as days hanging around with other drug Because of the shame and stigma at- The response to the film was really and studying really hard and aiming weekly basis. It is something that I po s s ible. addicts and quickly learned how to tached to drug addiction, I thought that positive and I would like to think I to do a degree in psychology. believe will never leave me and I looked at friends of mine going to adapt to my new life on the streets. by being open and honest, it may help gave some people in similar situa- My life has moved on in many something that I have to stay on top school and others going to work and I My whole personality changed. I people understand the problem more. I tions hope. ways but I still battle with my ad- of constantly.

3 NOVEMBER 20, 2007 TERAPROOF:User:jackiebolandDate:16/11/2007 Time:19:01:36 Edition: 20/11/2007 ExSupplement XS2011DRUGSPage:4Zone:XS1

VIEW FROM THE GROUND DÚN LAOGHAIRE COMMON GROUND

Drug use in Dún Laoghaire was t r adi t ionally confined to disadvantaged areas. But as Noel Baker discovered, this is no longer the case

RUG users have a reputation for being unreliable, but Dún Laoghaire can count on its small population of hero- D in addicts. Even on a sunny day in October, they are easy to spot, weighed down by layers of cloth- ing and stumbling through the crowds like arthritic ghosts. Since the dog days of the 1980s, they have become as much of a fixture here as the ferries docking in the harbour. Dún Laoghaire is a well-to-do spot and the vast majority of those scuttling through it bear all the hallmarks of prosperity. When, during the summer, a number of sail boats were blown over in the harbour by strong winds during a junior regatta, some reporters joked that they needed subtitles to understand the posh south- side accents. Away from this, however, disadvantaged es- tates in and around Dún Laoghaire have re- mained heroin black spots, where experts refer to different generations of the same family falling prey to the perils of drug use. What these same experts are worried about, however, is not the visible problem of heroin, In Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, it is a double-up between catering for the continuing, but but the growth in drug use among a greater accepted, heroin problem and the surge in cocaine use across all social groups and classes. number of people from all walks of life. Co- caine is increasingly prevalent — a drug that is seemingly flourishing amid the affluent classes physically they are going to be a hell of a lot abuse, but that there is not enough coher- and beyond. better, emotionally they can start work, there’s ence between those. They are very piece- In Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown it is a dou- a bit of stability in their lives.” meal and staggered and as a consequence it ble-up between catering for the continuing, He also criticises what he views as the “bu- hasn’t really had the kind of effect. I also but accepted heroin problem, and this seem- reaucracy” which means there is a delay, often think that people have been unwilling to ingly rampant surge in cocaine use. As head of running into months, in accessing detox beds. bite the absolute bullet. Personally I believe the local Drugs Task Force, Jim Doherty is in The changes in people’s use of drugs are set that poverty is at the root of all of these and an ideal position to view the drugs landscape to present problems for all of us, Mr Curtin that there is no easy way to solve it without and he believes it is complicated terrain. in 1977 and recalls how heroin hit in 1981. He This greater acceptance of cocaine as a so- continues, despite the differences between the investing enormous amounts of money.” “I have 22 projects that I look after in terms has seen dynasties of drug use in families over cially acceptable drug has also been clocked by old problem of heroin and the new threat from He argues that the existing National Drugs of trying to ameliorate the drugs problem ei- the years and still sees people from the same the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Community cocaine. Strategy, if implemented in full, could make ther through prevention, education, supply re- estates carrying out a small trade, primarily to Addiction Team, based close to the stop “People are beginning to become aware that a huge difference at both local and national duction, stuff like that,” he said. feed their own habit. in . While the majority of their cocaine is going to cause a serious problem and level, but concedes: “We are wise enough to “All of my projects that would have contact “Some people are selling bits and pieces — clients would still be receiving treatment for that the infrastructures that we have at the mo- realise that we don’t work with the most with drug users or drug users’ families would it’s what they are at,” he says. “For some of opiate addiction, they have noticed an increase ment, we’re helpless really — 99% of the ser- popular group of people.” have reported an increase in the use of cocaine. them they don’t know anything else.” in younger users, and in those taking cocaine, vices out there are opiate based and methadone In a previous job, working in north Yes, it would be anecdotal because these peo- As he sees it, there are three options for often in tandem with other substances. It is a is no use to a cocaine addict.” Dublin, he dealt with a nine-year-old who ple are not social science researchers, but they young heroin users: Steal, deal or sell them- change of dynamic which presents itself in all This theme continues elsewhere. Ruth Mc- had begun injecting heroin. Complacency is are in contact with clients, and in fairness, selves; the latter is something more prevalent in kinds of ways. Claughry, manager of DROP (Dun Laoghaire the real enemy, he maintains, at a time when their funding does not depend on them enlarg- the city centre than out here in the borough. One of the team’s project workers, Peter Rathdown Outreach project), found that in a polydrug use is on the rise, and substances ing the drugs problem, so they have no major “If I speak to people addicted to heroin here, Curtin, said: “The distribution network for co- survey of clients — many of whom are recov- such as crystal meth and crack cocaine could reason to exacerbate the problem.” the Celtic Tiger does not exist for them,” the caine is actually a hell of a lot more complex ering from heroin addiction — most were us- appear on the horizon like two horsemen of Drugs were traditionally a problem in disad- inspector said. than for heroin. People I’ve come across — ing cocaine in conjunction with other drugs. the apocalypse. vantaged areas in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, But what of the newer phenomenon, that of and this is the funny thing about the upper end The paranoia, aggression and anxiety, not to “We’ve only seen narrow drug use in a re- where low educational attainment and high widespread drug use? Perhaps understandably, of cocaine users — is that there’s massive, mas- mind the adverse effects on health, will take cession and widespread drug use in a boom,” unemployment levels went hand-in-hand with given its broad base of operations, the data at sive money involved. I know a fella who drives their toll on any user, she says, regardless of he says. “The next bit we haven’t seen yet, grinding poverty. Garda level does not seem to support the sto- a Bentley Continental around Dublin and all their class or social background. and that will be a whole new phase for us.” “When the drugs task force was set up 10 ries of a blizzard of cocaine. he does, all weekend, is from about 6pm on Despite this, she feels that many people, par- The denizens of Dún Laoghaire might years’ ago it was tasked to concentrate on “I’m not seeing huge amounts of cocaine in Friday evening he just drives around town and ticularly from well-heeled stock, are perfectly walk around their heroin addicts as though about 20, 21 pockets of disadvantage in DLR, nightclubs. There is lots of anecdotal stuff, but delivers cocaine to different people at different happy to compartmentalise their drug use, and they’re not even there, but the spectres because we’re in the most affluent county in I’m not hearing about it in pubs and clubs,” parties. You would never have had that with will demure from seeking help even when the might, in future, be harder to avoid. the country,” said Mr Doherty. said Insp Wilde. he r oin. alarm bells start to ring. “However, Ireland being fairly unequal in It is fair to say that this is far from a universal “What we would find mostly is that in the “I wouldn’t go to anyone for an awfully long how it distributes wealth, there are some places view. According to Mr Doherty, while the is- disadvantaged areas you have severe addiction, time because I wouldn’t understand the link in the middle of Dún Laoghaire which are ex- sue regarding heroin has stabilised, many more severe social, physical, emotional problems between my weekly despair, panic, anxiety and tremely deprived. I would say that everything I people are using many more drugs. coming from a constant and high level of co- anger and the fact that I’m high as a kite on am hearing from projects, from workers on the “People used to talk about drug of choice, caine use. And the difference between that and coke at weekends,” she says of the attitude of ground, indicate to me that there is a signifi- now you could say it’s a smorgasbord, it’s a your kind of middle class or upper class co- many of her clients. “I wouldn’t go to my doc- cant problem now outside of those areas.” buffet,” he said. “If you said to me, ‘here’s a caine user is that mainly the impact is more fi- tor because it’s illegal [drug use]. I would just Not that the problem in those areas has been map of DLR, point to an area that doesn’t nancial and emotional. Most of the middle quietly try to deal with it and keep it secret.” wiped out — it hasn’t. Mr Doherty calls it “a have a drugs problem’, I’d probably keep my class users would still be snorting, they would For Mr Doherty, changing trends in future disgrace” that the overriding issues of social hand in my pocket.” not be IV (intravenous) users, so the IV thing could be seismic, and he believes the country’s exclusion have not been tackled over the past This state of play runs from the old has stayed within the lower class.” view of the drugs issue will have to change to 10 years. He maintains that while, in the working class estates to plush areas The team has up to 500 people on its keep pace with events. past, areas of drug use could be picked around Dún Laoghaire and even database, and the drugs used by its clients are “It’s a horrible expression, but we might be by the postcode, today these tradition- University College Dublin. Address- broken down evenly between the four groups: looking at a paradigm shift in terms of our al problem zones have been joined by ing a class of first year students Cocaine, opiates, alcohol and cannabis/grass. whole attitude to drugs. We might be getting greater drug use virtually everywhere. there last year, Mr Doherty was in- Gaps in the system, as they see it, affect users into an era of managing the [effects of] drug Occasionally, its effects are thrown formed by some that they had tak- across the spectrum. use, as opposed to fighting or combating or into stark relief, such as the death en cocaine on their Debs night. The team’s manager, Geraldine Fitzpatrick the war on drugs. We might be getting to of one local man last year, who was Nor did this revelation come as a said aftercare is a particular problem. a point where we think, look, this is all found in the McDonald’s on one of huge surprise. “There doesn’t seem to be an initiative there around us, people are using it and it’s the borough’s main streets. A coro- to try and detox the patient or link them in not just kids and not just from one ner’s court heard that a number of with the likes of community addition teams,” socio-economic background, so needles were found stuck she said. what we have to do now is focus into, or lying From Mr Curtin’s point of view, the on harm reduction, focus on edu- around, the man, State is too complacent regarding its use of cating people on what it is they’re who died from a methadone for heroin users and not doing, in the same way in which morphine overdose. pro-active enough in looking at alterna- there was a point when people Insp Bill Wilde tives. “There’s no care plan goals or any- realised that cigarettes were has become fa- thing like that for them. The goals of killing people. miliar with such people who operate methadone pro- “I feel that there has been a cases over the grammes is to get people on to huge amount of initiatives years. He be- methadone programmes because they aimed at breaking down Jim Doherty of the local drugs gan working view it as, if they come off opiates and some of the root causes of task force, says that while, in in the area start using methadone at least people ending up in drug the past, areas of drug use could be picked by the postcode, now these problem zones have been joined by greater drug use virtually Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Community everywhere else. Addiction Project’s Peter Curtin and Geraldine Fitzpatrick: ‘The reality is that most of the big dealers are not using drugs themselves.’ Pictures: Paul Sharp 4 NOVEMBER 20, 2007 User:jackiebolandDate:16/11/2007 Time:18:13:16 Edition:20/11/2007 ExSupplement XS2011DRUGSPage:5Color:

VIEW FROM THE GROUND KERRY FROM THE CITY TO THE

Friends Rowland Blennerhassett and David Michael Culloty, both 20, who died within six COUNTRY months of each other from cocaine overdoses.

Conor Ryan examines the growing drug problem in Kerry and the ease with which it is crossing geographical and social boundaries

T IS a way of life. In the same way peo- today those social labels are redundant and nowa- Tim Somers was 20 when ecstasy killed him a ple who smoke are aware what it is do- days only serve those still denying the fact that month before Christmas 2005. ing to them, people who take drugs teenagers in Tralee often find it easier to buy However, Malcom Halpin was 42 and had know it could kill them, but they are drugs than drink. moved to Kenmare from Liverpool before he I happy to take the chance.” Recent research carried out on the Greater died on his way to hospital on February 27, Terence Casey is the coroner for south and east Tralee area, by Peadar King, found teenagers had 2005. Ker ry. little difficulty sourcing whatever they wanted. Separated by 22 years neither man’s heart was He said the trend among the tragedies coming The days when ravers took ecstasy, stoners able to function after being sent racing by ecstasy before him is that a pervasive drug culture has smoked pot and rich people snorted cocaine are tablets swallowed shortly beforehand. short-circuited common sense. over, drug users are trying everything. Brian Daniels, from Cork Road in Waterford, “People are going away to hotels rather than “Ecstasy changed the drugs culture here, con- was also 42 when he was found dead at the bot- spending their money in pubs. It’s always ecstasy nected with the dance scene and made drug use tom of the stairwell in the Great Southern Hotel, or cocaine. They are lethal,” he said. more fashionable and mainstream. Killarney in January 2006. The people of Kerry cannot plead igno- “All of a sudden kids of all backgrounds were Mr Daniels arrived disorientated and paranoid rance about the deadly effects of drugs. In taking drugs. But it is so plentiful that what is looking for a late drink. He checked into the ho- 1993, a local teenager, who returned from happening now is poly-drug use, you rarely get tel but never used his room. He drank in the ho- Britain to his parents, was the first recorded somebody coming into me who only takes one tel bar but made little sense in conversation. He ecstasy death in Ireland. He collapsed at drug,” he said. was last seen staring out a window, fearful of home in the middle of day. These shifts are borne out in the coroner’s people he thought were coming after him. His His death went unheeded and signalled cour t. body was found the next morning. Very high the beginning of the mass infiltration of Rowland Blennerhassett did not fit the profile levels of cocaine showed up in his postmortem. ecstasy into the south west. It took of a drug user but this did not spare his life. Instead of acting as a deterrent, their deaths are Kerry from being a community The 20-year-old was a talented brick layer with treated as a footnote to a new social scene not buffered by geography to facing the six people working under him. He worked hard only in towns like Tralee, Killarney and Listowel same drugs’ war as the rest of the and reaped the rewards. He signed off on the but in villages like Lixnaw, Sneem and Castle- countr y. plans for his new house the night before he died. maine. By the end of the 1990s hun- Mr Blennerhassett’s family did not realise he While some have ended up in early graves, dreds of people were attending even took drugs. His uncle Billy Leen said: “My others are washing up in addiction treatment community meetings to plot a information is that among young people that age centres such as Talbot Grove in north Kerry. response. Vigilante beatings living around here between 70%-80% have dab- Director Con Cremin has noticed the shift in were also taking place. bled in drugs. emphasis in what people are addicted to and how The drugs trade carried on “There was a time when cocaine was a rich problems manifest themselves. regardless and simultaneously man’s drug but these young people are well able “The type of use has changed, everybody we cocaine was starting to find to earn money, they all have good jobs and are meet now who has used an illicit drug will have its way to towns and vil- pulling in g 500, g 600 a week. used cocaine. lages. “I am told it is gone very common in the “We are seeing more people coming into us in Pat Hannafin is the building industry locally,” he said. their 20s or 30s. Drugs will bring people to a newly appointed inter- Contrary to reports, Mr Blennerhassett was not crisis earlier than alcohol. It tends to burn them vention worker dealing at a wild party the night of his death but with a out a lot more quickly,” Mr Cremin said. with young people tak- handful of friends who arrived home to take Those using drugs no longer have to go to ing drugs in Tralee. He some drugs after a night out. cities to source their fix. There is now an estab- remembers the early Six months later, one of his friends, David lished local drugs supply chain. 1990s when drug use Michael Culloty, was found dead in a hotel Mr Cremin said “rural Ireland is no longer ru- was linked to a room, also after a reported cocaine overdose. ral”. sub-culture easily The 20-year-old, from Alderwood Road, In Tralee, Mr Hannafin described a community recognisable by a Tralee, was in Killarney for a wedding. Emergen- which is not in denial. certain dress code cy services were called to the hotel room on the “The families do not care about the stigma, The needle or social clique. morning after the celebration, but were unable to they know what is going on and they just want Howeve r , save his life. their children to get help,” he said. Mr Leen said far from representing an anomaly, But as drugs continue to pour into Kerry, the and the his nephew represented a typical drug user in death-toll is rising. Ker ry. The latest victim passed out on a hotel floor in “These are all respectable lads from respectable Killarney at the end of September. His friends families. It is not the junkies or the drop outs thought he was asleep until the next morning damage done you are dealing with any more. when they could not resuscitate him. A local “The present system is not working for con- man, his inquest has still to join those already be- trolling drugs,” he said. fore Mr Casey’s coroner’s court. Conor Ryan says heroin has already been introduced into Kerry to a new generation

HE continued spread of heroin throughout Kerry is the biggest fear T among drug workers. “At the moment it is being smoked rather than injected, but recently I have heard of people shooting up. “It is still only very small, but it is showing up at parties which means it is being nor- malised. Kids are getting used to seeing it and therefore are more at risk of experimenting with heroin,” said Pat Hannafin. Mr Hannafin is the youth intervention worker at the new drugs’ project based in Tralee Partnership. His views are supported by Con Cremin, di- rector of the Talbot Grove addiction centre. He said heroin has already been introduced in- cause they can see what is coming down the designed to act to Kerry to a new generation of user. line. We have to learn the lessons and not re- as a stabiliser There is no methadone programme available peat the mistakes,” he said. during an erratic to people in the south-west and no dedicated Projects such as Mr Hannafin’s and Mr stage in growing up. treatment programme. O’Regan’s are among the first line of defence. It is these young people For more than two decades heroin addicts The link work is there to put the pieces in who will be the first con- have lived in the county, but there was no lo- place for people trying to rehabilitate after fronted with a local heroin scene. cal supply. Users would have begun using the drug use. “In my opinion a lot of the services were Both these services were established under stance misuse. drug elsewhere and after they moved to Kerry In Kerry this can mean finding housing, get- more suited to adults whereas young people the Regional Drugs’ Task Force which has This is a view reflected in Substance they commuted to Dublin to feed their habit. ting work or returning to education. It allows who attempt to give up drugs very often tend been operating for more than a year in Kerry Use/Misuse research carried out in the greater In the past year this has changed and reports people who want to go clean to get their life to relapse. And that cannot be seen in a nega- and Cork. Tralee and north Kerry area last year. Its au- suggest heroin is being supplied by indigenous in order. tive light, it is all part of the process. A lot can Co-ordinator Dr Chris Black said heroin thor, Peadar King, spoke to a number of dealers to a new breed of user. Recently there The groundwork is in recognition of the just be about harm reduction, but it is also and cocaine represented major challenges to all young people about the drugs they were tak- have been significant seizures on the south large number of people in their late teens and about motivating them to allow them get to a support services. This included the need to ing. coast to support this view. early 20s who are already taking drugs. This is place where they want to be clean themselves. free up treatment places for young people as Alcohol was still the number one drug and After watching the drug ravage communities the age group at most risk. “It is a big challenge to move away from there is a wait of more than 12 weeks for a provided the social setting for subsequent drug in Dublin in the 1980s and early 1990s, those “The age group starts from 16 which was a their old friends. The peer pressure is very residential place. He said this is too long to use. It also found that among drug users once working in the area are already trying to pre- surprise to me because I thought it was too crucial if a person has significant drug prob- keep teenagers from losing the initiative. they had stepped over the moral hurdle of us- pare a response. young, but they got it just right. lems. If they are being told to avoid people However, he said, the single biggest problem ing drugs and alcohol they gave little thought Dermot O’Regan is one of the country’s “They are the age where there is already a and places where there is drugs it can be a in keeping people away from hard drugs is the to what substances they took afterwards. first link workers to support drug addicts after significant drug use history,” he said. very difficult transition for them to make. In unquestioning acceptance given to alcohol in For those young people it became a ques- coming through treatment. For those referred to the project the aim is my service we are trying to help them make society. He said this provided a scene for peo- tion of availability. “I think Cork and Kerry are almost in a not to get their life back in order as in many the links which help ease that transition,” he ple to access harder drugs and wore down the However, this is no longer an issue for those privileged position compared to Dublin be- cases their lives have yet to begin. Instead it is said. threshold at which teenagers embraced sub- growing up in Kerry.

5 NOVEMBER 20, 2007 TERAPROOF:User:jackiebolandDate:16/11/2007 Time:18:12:12 Edition: 20/11/2007 ExSupplement XS2011DRUGSPage: 6 Zone:XS1

VIEW FROM THE GROUND , DUBLIN BEYOND

Beldale View Treatment Centre in Darndale: ‘This is a community MOTHERS’ which buries its young people with a terrible f r eq u enc y .’ Sharon At the end loves her HELP da u gh t e r , of the lane but UST seven months ago, John got involved in a car accident a num- want to know. There’s no help there. He’s by Kilmore from a suspected cocaine-in- sometimes Sharon’s 24-year-old daughter, ber of years ago. The three of them were on everything, cocaine, ecstasy, alcohol, ex- duced heart attack. “We see the reality of HE location of the treatment and housing. Jane, was a loving mum-of-two. staying at a holiday home in Wexford. cept heroin. cocaine. A lot of people think it’s just a centre in Darndale could hardly “There is a particular problem of She had never been in trouble “He got a phone call and the person said Derek is now back home and under close recreational drug and that it does no harm,” T be more inhospitable. It’s at the homelessness young males.” she J with the law and Sharon had a our house would be burned down if he watch. “He gets very depressed. When I go said Patty. end of a bleak lane on the edge of He said Darndale was one of the good relationship with her. didn’t pay the money he owed,” said Hugh. out I lock the bedroom door. I’m afraid Margaret said the major concern they had Dar ndale. communities at the “losing end” of But since March, Jane has developed a se- He said John was destroyed on drugs that he’ll do it again.” was people “banging up” or injecting. You pass a number of Traveller sites. economic changes. “This is a commu- almost rious cocaine addiction. night and took about 20 valium tablets and Another parent, Pauline, said her son, “Back in the 1990s many of them were Rubbish and waste greet the visitor. At nity which buries its young people with Not only that, but she has been caught by tablets for a heart condition both he and his Noel, tore her family apart. heroin users. They’ve come through that the end of the lane are a number of a terrible frequency, because of the na- wishes she gardaí with g 10,000 worth of cocaine. wife had. “He came from a good home, his dad and are parents or young grandparents, but grim buildings. They are fenced in by ture of the environment.” If that were not enough, in a separate in- “He drove off in the car. He could have worked for 44 years, we did everything pos- are now addicted to cocaine, injecting it. It’s 10-foot-high, sharp railings manned by Cocaine was a major problem. cident, she was caught and charged for pos- been trying to kill himself, I don’t know, sible to help him, but it was like banging taking a worse toll on their bodies. We have security guards. “Where heroin lasts for four hours, and was dead. session of firearms. but he had a car accident and a woman in your head off a stone wall. I used to walk one girl who lost three of her fingers from “People come here when everything a person would not inject more than She faces losing her children. And last her 30s in another car was killed. That is a the streets at night looking for him.” injecting cocaine, other girls have abscesses has failed,” said Dr Paul Quigley, a sub- three times in a day, with cocaine a per- weekend, she overdosed. life sentence for him and us.” John was sen- Pauline said her son even looked for mon- the size of eggs. Their lives are chaotic.” stance abuse specialist at the centre. “It’s son could easily inject 40 times if bad. “Seven months ago she was never in trou- tenced to three and a half years. In addition ey off his dad as he lay dying. “I don’t think She said dealers take their children’s al- not nice The high only lasts four minutes, 15 ble in her life. She’s a completely different he has a one-year drug conviction. he realised his father was dying. He was ly- lowance books until they pay off debts and attending here every day. You’re minutes comedown, then back to zero. girl. It is like she was taken off the planet Hugh said when that case came to court ing in bed in Beaumont, getting in some cases they take passports. “Debts are excluded from the community. It’s a bit He said cocaine abuse had “destabilis- and another girl put in her place,” said two years ago three guys came up to his chemotherapy. He went up and asked him a huge thing. They’d say ‘tell your ma to like a leper colony.” ing” effects on mental health. “It causes Sha r on. son. for money. It’s so sad, it is awful.” give me g 5,000 and you won’t get a bullet’. But inside the walls, Dr Quigley and irritability. People can’t sleep, they’re She said she noticed sudden changes with “In front of the guards they said to my She said her son was in recovery and is in “It is a fear and terror that we’ve never the other staff are proud of their work. cranky, aggressive, there are difficulties her daughter last March. son ‘you owe us g 1,000’. the process of getting his child back. experienced before. It was bad with heroin, “In the last 10 years here we have with families. People can purchase a “She wasn’t looking after her children, she “We were terrified. The guards said there All the parents said they have gained but the devastation with cocaine is totally brought the situation around, from a to- large amount of sleeping tablets to bal- wasn’t eating. I’d open the fridge in her was nothing they could do. For our own strength and comfort in the family support wor se.” tally chaotic state, to a stage where we ance out the effects.” house and there was no food. I’d seen chil- protection the guards had to drive us group, which is run by Marie Hanlon. Betty is one of the parents Patty’s have no waiting list. He said alcohol was the most dren minding her children. I started seeing home.” “We would call on parents affected not to family support group is helping. “The original problem was heroin ad- common drug combination with people coming and going in her house. It Phyllis said her son was now locked up in be embarrassed, to seek help. Drugs are part She lost one son, aged 28, to heroin and diction. Treating with methadone, even cocaine. “There are a lot of incidents happened very quickly, overnight. I still his own cell 23 hours a day, on his own of society, it is nobody’s fault,” said Marie. cocaine two years ago. Another son, 27, is with best practice, as we do, is a main- driven by binge drinking and can’t believe it.” wishes. She said cocaine was creating an awful lot now in the grips of addiction. tenance approach, it’s long term.” cocaine, aggressive behaviour, driving Sharon soon discovered her daughter was “This is to stay away from drugs.” of problems in Bonnybrook and neighbour- “Sometimes you wonder, being such good He said they now faced a number of cars too fast and sexual risks.” taking cocaine and heroin. Hugh said John told him when he got out ing estates. mothers, where did we go wrong,” said problems. First, was the large number of He said they’ve had cases of clients Sitting in a meeting room in the New he would not be coming home. “He’s so “We have more young people presenting Betty. “But they’re not our children. We drugs — five on average — in addition being forced to flee the area because of Life parish centre in Darndale, Sharon talks terrified of meeting some of the people he here, taking alcohol and cocaine and getting loved them to bits, but they are not our to methadone, being used by clients. debts. to local parish priest Fr Terry Murray about child r en.” These are heroin, hash, alcohol, cocaine He said the simplest way for regular the whirlwind of the last seven months. She Mick was 18 when she realised he was and sleeping tablets. users to keep afloat was to start handling said Jane is facing lengthy jail terms, one for smoking heroin. Like the other parents, she “Methadone can improve the situa- drugs. “If they are in possession of sub- drugs supply here and one for firearms pos- didn’t know anything about drugs and did tion, but clients compensate with other stantial supplies, they can use impulsive- Co r mac session in Belfast. everything to try and help him. drugs and are continuing to be unsta- ly, they end up owing for them. These Sharon said Jane was asked to hold a bag “He had a detox for eight weeks. I sat ble,” said Dr Quigley. debts are often paid in blood, both in- O ’ Keeffe of cocaine in her house for someone. When ‘’ I have unconditional love for with him throughout. Then one night he “The supply of cocaine has vastly in- side and outside prison.” gardaí raided her house they found the went out and he was out of his face.” creased. In addition we already had Dr Quigley said: “The hard end of drugs, worth around g 10,000. Soon after, her but I think I’d rather be She said he began to settle down in the heavy supplies of sleeping tablets.” the drug business is here in Darndale, in talks to the she was caught in Belfast with another gang year before he died. “He was on a low He said alcohol abuse was “a very se- assaults, shootings, drug debts, suicides and firearms were seized. visiting her graveyard amount of phy (methadone), he was living rious problem” at clinics, posing risks of and murders.” “She could lose her children. She’s after with a girl. He was going to the gym every sclerosis and violence. He said psychiatric services were mothers whose losing her home. She’s back living with me. day.” Secondly, many of the clients have struggling to deal with cocaine. He said It is a major strain, I have two boys.” She Betty said he looked great when she saw “very serious” psychological problems. the cheap availability of alcohol was said her daughter was beaten up a couple of him the morning he died. “He had new He said the biggest problem was poverty “disastrous” for local young people. families have weeks ago and nearly died from an overdose clothes, had his hair spiked. He went back the previous week. ‘’ to the flat and hanged himself.” been devastated Sharon said the strain is taking a severe was knocking around with.” into terrible trouble. Some of the lads are She said he had a heart attack, caused by toll on her own health. “The worry and Bernie, also from Bonnybrook, looks visi- suicidal. We have lost lovely young men cocaine and vodka. “He was going to hang strain of it, I keep thinking is she going to bly strained, not surprising given her story. he r e.” himself, he had the thing around him, but by drugs be found dead? Her son, Derek, aged 21, started on hash, She said financial debts were a huge prob- he was dead from the drugs. I think his tol- “I have unconditional love for her, the got into trouble stealing and after attending lem. “We’ve had mothers who’ve had guns erance for the drugs was down and he love for her I can’t explain, but I think I’d two schools, left school completely after de- put to their heads, their kids owing thought he was able for it.” rather be visiting her graveyard.” veloping a cocaine problem. g 2,000- g 3,000. One person had to re- Betty said she had a heart attack after- Sharon is not alone. In the adjoining His dad, who ran a successful company, mortgage her house for g 37,000 because of wards and is now on medication. neighbourhood of Bonnybrook, a number took him on. debts her young son had built up.” Her younger son, who was 25 at the time, of parents have gathered at the local family “Our customers were ringing up saying She said a lot of young people had been already had a drug problem and had been support group. purses and bags had gone missing. When we sent to St Ita’s Psychiatric Hospital in Por- diagnosed with schizophrenia linked to Hugh and Phyllis have lived through checked the company credit card, we dis- trane, north Dublin. cannabis use. Now a heroin addict, he re- enormous trauma over the last 12 years with covered we were fleeced.” “They are off their heads, have a lot of cently spent time in Portrane Psychiatric Resident artist, their only son. In their 70s, they are the She said Derek left home after this paranoia or are suicidal. But Portrane can’t Hospital, from where he was released a cou- Tony Furlong picture of decent people, who have been and lived on the streets for six months. She deal with the addiction.” She said there ple of weeks ago. Sphere 17 dealt a very heavy hand in life. remembers in detail what she and her hus- were only 12 detoxification beds in north “He got a hiding for g 200. He’s sick, just “I blame myself, him being a lonely child. band were doing the day they were told Dublin, in Beaumont Hospital. “We need out of Portrane and got a beating.” Betty Regional Youth He was well brought up, very intelligent, their son had tried to kill himself. more detox facilities. We also need residen- said she was so livid she stormed down to Service, but got caught up in drugs.” “It was a lovely day, we went out to Bray, tial centres where they can stay and a the dealer’s father, who lived up the road. Darndale: ‘Kids In 1995, John told his parents he was on did the hill and had ice cream. My husband three-year care plan.” “I said to him: ‘I’m living here 28 years need to take heroin. Like many parents, they were igno- said he’d a love a pint so we were walking Marie said people need to change their and I’m sick of it. I have enough. Your son part in doing rant of drugs, but frantically sought help. up the steps to a hotel when the phone attitude to addicts. “Society believes if a is selling’. He turns around and says ‘yeah, positive things.’ They even tried to set their son up in busi- rings. We were told my son had gone to a member of a family is an addict they are he does sell drugs’. I said ‘is that OK?’ He ness and bought him a van and a car worth friend’s, they were out in the shed, the scumbags and the family home they come just looked at me. I was shaking, I didn’t g 60,000, which he sold for drugs. “He friend went into the house and when he from is scum.” care if he shot me. cleaned me out, any money we had for our came back found my son dangling by his Back in Darndale, Patty Reid runs the “If I had money and had seen someone old age I either gave him or he robbed. I neck. Luckily his friend just got him in time family support group there and helps Mar- selling guns, I’d say ‘here give me a gun and Parents of drug users at would put a conservative figure of and cut him down. It’s something I still garet Smith run the drop-in centre for the I’ll give you g 5,000’ and have gone down Positivity is the the Brookhaven Centre, g 200,000 on it,” said Hugh. haven’t come to terms with.” Darndale Drug Awareness Group. and shot him. That’s how hurt I was. I can’t Drug Awarness & Parent “Losing the money is one thing, but to She said a few months ago, Derek was at a “We’ve had 10 deaths in the last 10 sleep at night. Their mothers are up in the Support Group, . lose your son, your only child, to drugs is concert, but ended up in Beaumont Hospi- months and 87 in the last seven to eight pub seven nights a week, you’re at home Pictures: Maura Hickey hear tache.” tal and was there for 10 days. “I asked them years, the youngest 14,” said Patty. Only that crying. But the way it’s gone now, you’d be key for change Their trauma entered a new level when would they put him into detox, they didn’t week, a youth in his early 20s died in near- shot if you opened your mouth.”

HINK positive: that’s Tony programmes and breakfast clubs. R TERRY believes the point buried many young men through sui- ing into youth groups, breaking down RIAN is in some difficulty, “They will be growing up without taking it one day at a time. “We all Furlong’s motto. “There are far more facilities now. has been reached where Darn- cide and drug misuse.” that divide between the guards and the although it’s not clear what their dad,” he said stopping suddenly, need to hit rock bottom. Mine was T “There’s so much coverage on Young people can’t say there’s nothing F dale must be reclaimed from He said last November he counted the commu ni t y .” B it is. swallowing the emotion inside him. when my home had been taken off drugs, young people look at people do- to do. All they have to do is knock on the drug dealer and the criminal. number of young people who had died. He said when he came to the parish He said he had taken heroin and Deco looks more like an addict me, my child was in danger of being ing drugs and getting all the attention. our door.” “I firmly believe our parish is a great “Over the last eight years, there were 37 he would have known who was selling cocaine, mixed together, earlier. than Brian. His voice and reaction is taken off me and I faced a drug The message is ‘if I want to get atten- And they don’t even have to do that. place. There are many committed peo- or 38 to do with drugs, including sui- drugs. “Now, I don’t know. They are He works as a carpenter and pays slow. He started taking drugs at 13 cha r ge.” tion this is what I should do’.” The centre engages in “street work” ple living and working in the communi- cide.” from within the area and without. for his drugs through his regular job and was thrown out of school at 14. Starting at a young age, she took Tony is running art classes at Sphere where youth workers go out to gangs ty and there are a lot of good things go- There have been a number of local There are far more of them. There’s a and by doing nixers whenever he can. In the coming years he moved onto large quantities of drugs. She said it 17, a new regional youth centre in and tell them about the place. They also ing on in the Darndale Belcamp area. men murdered in gangland shootings. huge amount of cocaine, some crack, “If I hadn’t a few bob for tomor- heroin and cocaine. He also takes was “horrific” what she put her child Darndale. Bright and good natured, do “detached work”, for kids who “However, not a night goes by when In June 2006, James Purdue, 22, from heroin, and cannabis.” row, say g 100, I wouldn’t be able to me t hadone. through, living in one drug den after Tony gets on well with the kids. don’t want to come in to the centre. we don’t have a robbed car in the estate. Tulip Court, was shot dead in nearby He said debts were a major problem. sleep.” He said cocaine comes in “I’ve been in and out of prison, another. One night Maria was kicked “These are great kids. Kids need to “We go out to them, play football with Not a day goes by when we don’t see . In the neighbouring He was directly involved in a case where g 100 bags and g 50 bags, for just over robbing. But I’m sick of it now. I’m out of a flat by vigilantes and ended see this is the way to go, to join in them or whatever,” said Mary. drugs sold openly. There are families be- parish of Bonnybrook, Keith Fitzsimons, he believed the debt didn’t even exist. a gramme and a half gramme respec- thinking of moving away, get away up on a boat. youth clubs, take part in positive things. Nearby, in the New Life Centre, run A mother of a young ing intimidated by drug dealers to pay 24, was killed in a drive-by shooting in “There are people who could knock tively. In his 30s, he said he had a lot from this life. I’ve looked for help to “I came to my senses at a train Give coverage to these young people.” by the parish, Fr Terry Murray and his cocaine user talks to off debts. These are facts. . He was not the intended on anyone’s door and say hold this bag of friends who have died from drugs. get clean, but living in this area brings station in London with my child. He said children loved to be praised. staff run a lively facility for young and “What I find so terrible is children, as victim. for me. The same person comes back Taking “It scares me. I have tried eight times you back. I know too many people.” This black fella came over. He wants “They need an environment where this old alike. Manager Sinead Griffin said Fr Terry: ‘There are young as six and seven, watching this Last June, Dublin city coroner ordered and takes bits out of it. When another to give up.” A trawl through his mobile shows to help me out. I said I’m running is happening. If you raise their self-es- about 300 people attend their youth families being behaviour taking place before their very gardaí to reopen an investigation into person, who owns the bag sees stuff methadone at the He said he could spend large sums 12 people he could get drugs from. away from my boyfriend. He took me teem they will be positive about the programme. They have after-school intimidated by dealers eyes. They are growing up thinking that the death of Darndale man Anthony missing, the person who’s house it was Beldale View of money quickly, particularly on “I could go on a cocaine binge home to his wife and child. He paid world around them. Drugs need to be groups, homework groups, a grinds to pay off debts.’ this is normal behaviour and it’s not.” Kelly, 20, at a detention centre after a in is being blamed. They’re threatened Trea t men t cocaine. with cocaine for a week or two, then for the boat ticket home. I robbed deglorified, stuff like this needs to be programme, arts classes and personal He said people were frightened to say postmortem found he died of strychnine with violence. They’re basically being Cen t r e. “I buy and sell horses sometimes. I not touch it for a few months. It’s the him that night, I took £500 ( g 718). glor ified.” and social education classes. what the issues were for fear of reprisal. poisoning. set up.” sold one and made g 1,000. It was kind of drug that when you take it That’s what addiction done to me. I Mary Clarke is the youth facilities “We think education is the key in “The challenge now for the commu- And Patrick Lawlor, who disappeared Fr Terry believes a generation of gone in three or four days.” you want more of it.” didn’t care.” host at Sphere 17. She said the making a difference. We provide leader- nity is to decide if we want to do some- three years ago, is believed murdered young people has been lost. “What can But something is on his mind. Deco wants to get out of the She tried a number of times to get centre is open weekdays until 10pm and ship training and have around twenty 18 thing. It is about us claiming back our over a drug-related matter, but his body we do with the present generation? We “I’m going to jail for 10 years,” he country, but he doesn’t even have a clean, but was not serious. She re- until 5pm on Saturdays. to 19-year-olds that can run clubs.” commu ni t y .” has not been found. can’t give up, but the job is very diffi- said. He’s slow to say what for. passport. He is facing three years in fused to accept she was an addict. It has a bright, cheerful cafe/ drop-in She said they helped ten people in Reclaiming a Fr Terry Murray has been parish priest Fr Terry said the garda presence in the cult. You are trying to break down years Challenge of He got caught with a large quantity prison for robbery. Then she was caught selling drugs area, where young people can walk in 2005 get into third-level colleges. in Our Lady’s Parish of Darndale Bel- area was a major bone of contention. of unacceptable behaviour. of drugs which he said he was asked “I don’t want to go back to jail, cos at a club and more drugs were found and talk to youth workers. They run a “That is huge for this estate where camp for nine years. “One of the key pieces that is missing “We now have to start much further to hold for someone else. of the people that’s in there.” when gardaí raided her flat. range of classes, from hip-hop to guitar their parents could have left school He said it was the only parish he at the moment is the gardaí on the street back, as young as possible, at three or He’s particularly anxious about his Like Brian, Deco has no way out. She eventually she got clean. “The to stage school. They have an indoor at 15. We have hope for this communi- worked in where the majority of people building relationships, getting to know four, and start laying the foundation breaking a cycle children. He has three; a baby, one Maria has found a way out, at least shame when you’re clean is the soccer pitch and run school outreach t y.” generation who have died are under 30. “I’ve the community, meeting families, com- stones with them.” aged eight and another aged 13. so far. Clean four years, she’s hardest thing,” she said. 6 NOVEMBER 20, 2007 7 TERAPROOF:User:michaelcrowley Date: 20/11/2007 Time: 09:57:29Edition: 20/11/2007 ExSupplement XS2011DRUGSPage:8Zone:XS1

THE HUMAN COST DRUG DEATHS

Brain injury for ‘The system ecstasy ‘first-timer’

IT WAS Paul McCormack’s first time taking E. The 19-year-old was at the Tiesto concert at the Point Depot with a failed my son’ group of friends on June 16 when he took two small white tablets. Seven days later he died from drug-related brain damage. A friend of Mr Mc- Cormack’s, Lee Walker, told the in- Paul’s mother says he was not offered help in quest he was shocked when they ar- rived at the concert and Mr McCor- mack, who he knew since the age of prison. Georgina O’Halloran inve s t iga t e s 13, offered him an ecstasy tab. “I had never seen him taking drugs before,” said Mr Walker. Minutes later, Mr McCormack, of Sharon Avenue, Brownshill Road, AUL Kelly was just 22 when he was Paul’s girlfriend, that Paul was dead. Co Carlow, returned and said he discovered unconscious in his It was later that she took a call from the Gover- was going for a walk. Mr Walker left P Mountjoy prison cell on the morning nor, Sean Quigley to tell her to go to the Mater the concert at midnight. He texted of February 9, 2006. Hospital, that he thought Paul was dead. Mr McCormack to tell him he would The father-of-one was immediately rushed to “I reckon it was the contract out on his life meet him back at North Wall, where the Mater Hospital, but he had died in the early that drove him to take whatever he took, but I they had parked the car. hours of the morning and nothing could be done don’t think he meant to take his life,” she says. At 2.20am he found his friend sit- to save him. Jackie feels the prison system failed her son. ting on a bench beside the Liffey. A postmortem indicated the 22-year-old died After the September suicide attempt, Paul wrote Mr McCormack didn’t seem to from drug-induced bronchial pneumonia and a her a letter which read: “Tablets — I never took recognise Lee and it took him a toxicology screening revealed the presence of a them before I came into prison — never again. while to convince him to get into cocktail of drugs in Paul’s blood and urine I’m stupid for taking them. Didn’t need them on the car to go home. “At Heuston Sta- including methadone, benzodiazepine (a seda- the outside...so f*** them ma...I’m not going out tion Paul started getting hysterical tive-type drug) and codeine, as well as breakdown like that.” and tried to get out of the car. I lost products of heroin and cannabis. However, drugs were to be Paul’s downfall. my grip and he jumped out.” While Paul lay unconscious due to drug “They need more treatment in there. There are When Mr Walker managed to get intoxication, his breathing became depressed and not enough (drugs) treatment programmes there. Mr McCormack back into the car he developed pneumonia which killed him. They’ve no help in the prison for anyone who they continued their journey home Paul’s mother, Jackie says her son did not have has a problem with drugs or is starting to take and he rang a mutual friend, Jason a drug problem before he went to prison and has them. And they need sniffer dogs,” says Jackie. Kelly, who Paul seemed to recog- called on the authorities to tackle the chronic “And they need more prison officers. There’s nise, to calm him down. drugs problem which exists in Mountjoy, where no way the prison officers can get around every Mr McCormack became agitated prisoners can get their hands on any drug they 15 minutes. You can be banging on the cell door once again. Mr Walker called an am- want. She has also called for the provision of for one hour and no one will come to you. bulance. Mr McCormack was re- services to enable those with drug addiction There are not enough prison officers and it’s not moved to hospital, where problems to deal with their addictions. right,” she says. he was diagnosed with extensive hy- “Before he was in prison Paul used drugs recre- Since her son’s tragic death more than a year poxic brain injury. Coroner, Dr Kier- ationally and was doing some cocaine, but he and a half ago, Jackie and her two daughters, an Geraghty, recorded a verdict of definitely wasn’t a user,” she says of her only son. Charlene and Shauna, are trying their best to get death by misadventure. Paul was sent to Cloverhill prison in November on without the son and brother who “idolised” 2003 on remand, following his involvement in a them. A member of three local GAA clubs robbery. In April 2004, he was sent to Mountjoy growing up, Paul was a keen footballer and from and it was then he confided in his mother that he the age of ten, he was an avid boxer. Before he was smoking hash because he couldn’t sleep. went to prison he was working as an apprentice “He never even smoked cigarettes before that,” br icklayer. she says of her son, who was a keen footballer “Paul was a friendly outgoing chap with a large The grave of Kim O’Rourke, and boxer in his teenage years. circle of friends and everybody knew him. Every- Men in house died “He used to put it in his yoghurt and then he one makes mistakes and while most people don’t who died of a drug started smoking it. He was locked up and there end up in prison, Paul did. They need to be after drug party overdose in September were so many drugs available.” treated better in prison.” 2006 at the age of 18. Paul had two other overdose attempts in prison, Memories are all the Kelly family have now. LAURENCE ADE ONOJOBI and Her parents visit the spot one in June 2005 (which Jackie says she was Their front room is a shrine to the 22-year-old, Roy Flynn were found lying on the every night to light a candle never told about) and another in September with pictures depicting the good times on every floor of a house by members of the for their daughter, who was 2005. On both occasions he was rushed to the wall. Dublin Fire Brigade. afraid of the dark. Mater Hospital and was lucky to survive. In the corner, Jackie keeps Paul’s much The firemen forced their way into Picture: Maxpix When he died in February 2006 Paul was on treasured boxing gloves in a material bag to the rented house in Blanchard- special observation due to risk of drug overdose, protect them from the light, along with a football stown, Co Dublin, following an which entailed checks at 15-minute intervals, but signed by his many relations and friends saying emergency call on October 15, 2006. he was not discovered for hours after he had their goodbyes. Mr Onojobi, 20, of 82 Westhaven, died. “Nobody is right in the home since Paul’s and Mr Flynn, 31, Jackie believes her son took an overdose death. There’s some nights I go to sleep crying of 6, Village Green, Stamullen, Co because a man outside the prison had a contract and I wake up crying and I can’t go to work. Meath, appeared lifeless when ap- ‘Small bit’ of out on his life, something the prison staff were Sometimes I get to work and I get all shaky and p r oached. aware of, and this pushed him over the edge. panicky and can’t stay. One day I got to the door A “white powder” was clearly vis- cocaine was fatal One of his best friends had also hanged himself and I couldn’t go in. At one stage I went for a ible on the floor of the living room. just weeks before. whole week without eating.” Jackie is on The two were taken to James Con- SEAN WALSH was on a night out “I knew there was something wrong and Paul anti-depressants and valium to help her cope. nolly Memorial Hospital where they before Christmas with friends when told me who had a contract out on his life... I “I’m afraid of staying awake at night — that’s were pronounced dead. Post- he suffered cardiac failure after con- HER FIRST AND LAST TIME spoke to one of the governors and I told him not when I do most of my thinking and I don’t want mortems confirmed that both men suming a small amount of cocaine. to send Paul home in a box.” to think too much. Paul is on my mind all the died from heart failure caused by The 22-year-old from Fortfield Road The following morning Jackie was working in time. Sometimes I go to ring him — momentar- cocaine toxicity. , met a friend, Lee Cullen, Tesco when she received unofficial word, through ily I forget he’s gone.” Earlier that evening a fellow ten- for drinks at the Old Mill pub in ant of Mr Onojobi, Philip Kelly, re- Tallaght on December 21, 2006. turned to the rented house to find Mr Cullen took “a small bit of” the Mr Flynn — who was blue in the drug and Mr Walsh, who took cocaine ARIAN and Gerry O’Rourke visit their face — unconscious. ‘the odd time’, took a small amount daughter’s grave every day just before them completely. His housemate, Mr Onojobi, was too. After the pub, the pair returned M nightfall. “The DPP didn’t have enough evidence. What walking around in an agitated state, to Cullen’s parents’ house in Tallaght Eighteen-year-old Kim didn’t like the dark and so Georgina O’Halloran on the aftermath of evidence do they need? If the boyfriend made a sweating and not making any sense. for a few more drinks. each evening the couple make the lonely trip to her statement saying he bought the drugs off this person,” Mr Kelly rang an ambulance. Walsh stayed up all night and early graveside and light candles to ward away the dark. says Gerry. The emergency services arrived the following morning he went with Every morning Gerry comes back to blow them out. a tragic death caused by a fatal combination “The Gardaí raided the house a few times, but didn’t shortly after 4pm where they made his mother to the shop. When he This has become a daily ritual in the O’Rourke find anything. It’s amazing what drug pushers can take the grim discovery. return to the Cullen household he fell household since the loss of the youngest member of from people’s lives without them even knowing it,” says asleep at the kitchen table and slid to the family last year to the combined effects of Mar ian. the floor. methadone and a sedative drug. boyfriend, to Dean to tell us what happened. And he life before her when she died. Just a week after her Meanwhile, all of the big occasions, like Christmas His parents contacted the emergen- The vivacious and fun-loving twin, who had a large never said. He said it was a sleeping tablet, but death, Marian received a phone call from FÁS in and New Years, which were heretofore reasons to cy services and tried to resuscitate circle of friends and a passion for music and dancing, wouldn’t elaborate on it,” says Gerry. Finglas to say that Kim had been accepted on the celebrate have become painful reminders that Kim is him but he was pronounced dead at took methadone and a type of sedative drug together “We thought it was Sudden Adult Death hairdressing course she had been waiting for. gone. Tallaght hospital at 2pm, a little over with her boyfriend Dean on August 31, 2006. It was Syndrome. We asked that at the hospital. So when What makes her tragic death even more difficult On November 5th, when Leanne celebrated her 20th 24 hours after consuming the drug. to be her first and last time taking drugs. we were told what it was at the inquest — it was like for the family to handle is the knowledge that Dean birthday, the absence of her twin sister was acutely felt. A subsequent toxicology screening Dean woke up the following day and found his it [Kim’s death] was happening all over again. It was bought the drugs from a neighbour who lived just Instead of candles on a cake, the family gathered at Woman overdosed revealed he had 0.03 mgs per mil of girlfriend lying lifeless beside him. awful. We were totally unaware going in. For us to two blocks away from the Cronins. Kim’s graveside and lit candles in remembrance and to cocaine in his blood while traces of His own mother had checked in on the couple hear that in a courtroom; it was devastating,” he says. “What I can’t understand is how these people are ward away the dark. near mother’s home methadone and diazepam were also before leaving for work earlier that morning and had “It was like a punch. We had no inclination,” adds selling methadone when it’s prescribed for They all know things can never be the same. found, which contributed to his death. found them sleeping peacefully. Marian. “But we don’t blame Dean. He was a victim themselves? I rang up Ballymun Clinic to state that “I can kind of feel her presence in the house. It’s a Hours later Kim was pronounced dead on arrival at t oo.” my daughter had got methadone from this man, but comfort and then reality hits you — she’s gone,” says CATHERINE Cooney was found the Accident and Emergency Department of The couple thought their daughter would be the they said they had no proof. This fellow is in his 40’s Mar ian. collapsed on a street near her Beaumont hospital. last person who would touch any drugs, particularly and he has kids himself,” says Marian who believes “For a young one jumping and leaping around — and mother’s house. As far as her family, her twin sister Leanne and her in light of her fussiness about taking medication. Kim that people on methadone programmes should have then to be gone. I just hope this taking will save Paul Kelly with his The 28-year-old mother of two from friends were concerned, their Kim just didn’t take had always hated using her inhalers and taking tablets to take the methadone in the pharmacy or go someone else. We just can’t believe it. Some nights mother Jackie, who Dublin’s North Circular Road was drugs and so when an inquest into the circumstances for headaches and other ailments. without. Gerry would be sitting there thinking she’s going to discovered lying on the road in the surrounding her death in August revealed her death come in.” says her son did not Family believed “But she tended to be a bit vulnerable and trusted Particularly distressing for the couple is the fact that have a drug problem north inner city near Aughrim was drug-related (and in particular people when she knew them. She probably just tried as far as they are aware, the dealer is still at large, “We’d like to have her back, but we can’t,” says Gerry. Church wearing tracksuit bottoms methadone-related), the family was devastated. “We go down every night and look at the grave. She before he went to and a T-shirt on August 17, 2006. addict was ‘clean’ it and thought she’d be grand,” says Marian. although not in their area, and is potentially prison. “We were totally shocked. We had said to her Kim was just a year out of school with her whole damaging other young people’s lives if not destroying shouldn’t be there.” She was brought to the A&E de- partment of the Mater hospital in a THE family of Martin Chaney comatose state following a cardiac believed he was clean and hadn’t arrest and was admitted to the used drugs in over a year. Intensive Care Unit with evidence of Mr Chaney of Redmond Close, brain swelling and clots in the lungs. Kilnamanagh, Tallaght, was pro- She also had pneumonia and was nounced dead at St James’s hospital seen by a range of medical experts. on September 22, 2006 after consum- Ms Cooney suffered a number ing a fatal quantity of heroin. of cardiac arrests and died at the The 24-year-old had 1.3 micro- hospital on September 2. grams per mil of morphine in his Fatal cocktail of cocaine and heroin Man dies after small dose of cocaine Man dies after swallowing cocaine find Pathologist, Dr Michelle Harrison blood, a quantity which is “within Heroin addict dies from pneumonia who carried out a post-mortem, a potentially fatal range”, Coroner, PAUL CUMBERTON died from respond because he was often dif- DARREN GRIFFIN died after cause his death. FATHER-OF-TWO Edwin Onyango He returned home around 4am found she died from swelling of the Dr Brian Farrell told the Dublin MARK MCGUINNESS developed a July, his father and sister told the pneumonia after he took a cock- ficult to wake. She went into the taking small amounts of cocaine Mr Griffin was a number of peo- was on a night out with a friend and when he woke up later that brain due to cardiac arrest, after a Coroner’s Court recently. heroin addiction from a young age. Dublin City Coroner that they had tail of cocaine and heroin on a room to rouse him, but when she and ecstasy at a house party. ple who took cocaine at the party. when the car they were travelling morning he complained of stomach suspected cocaine overdose. Mr Chaney, who was homeless, He began using drugs at the age of been unaware that Mark was HIV night out with friends. still couldn’t wake him she called The 32-year-old from Coolock was When he woke up the following in was pulled over as part of a pains, but Mrs Onyango didn’t Ms Cooney had a problem with had been living with a friend, 15 and was a heroin addict at 16. He po s i t i v e. Cumberton, 24, of 114 Rory her other son to help. discovered unconscious in a morning he began drinking wine routine Garda check. believe her husband. drugs and had begun taking them Patrick Doyle at Mr Doyle’s had been intermittently attending a “He never discussed it with us. He O’Conner House, Dublin 1, died at He told his mother to call the bedroom of a house, where he had and later in the morning he took Onyango panicked, and swallowed Later that day he had fits and when she was around 16 or 17. She home at Emmet House, , service for drug users at St James’s was a very quite lad. He wouldn’t home on the morning of Decem- emergency services as Paul’s lips attended a party thrown by a ecstasy. a bag of cocaine he was carrying. began foaming at the mouth and the was also on a methadone mainte- for the two months prior to his hospital since July 2005. He tested have wanted to say it,” said his fa- ber 18, 2006. were black in colour. He was friend, Linda Feeney, the previous At a recent inquest into Mr Grif- The bag containing between emergency services were contacted. nance programme. deat h. positive for HIV and Hepatitis C that ther, Danny McGuinness. A postmortem toxicology rushed to the Beaumont hospital night, on May 6, 2006. fin’s death, the Dublin City Coroner, g 600-700 worth of coke burst, releas- Despite all efforts to assist him, Ms Cooney’s mother Carmel told Mr Doyle told the court he gave same year. The Coroner, Dr Farrell said: screening revealed he had signifi- at 2.30pm, where he was pro- When friends were unable to Dr Brian Farrell told the court he ing a lethal dose of the drug into his he died at the hospital from hypoxic the inquest into her daughter’s death Mr Chaney a lift home on the In June 2006, McGuinness, 29, of “Mark is a tragic victim of the drug cant levels of cocaine and nounced dead. wake him, Griffin was rushed to frequently sees cases where people blood stream. brain damage caused by cocaine that Catherine had no shoes, socks evening of September 21 and went Cremona Road, , present- problem in our city. He was only 29 morphine in his blood and urine. Speaking at an inquest into hospital at Beaumont, where he die after consuming small amounts Onyango (27) from St John’s toxicity just 12 hours later. or jacket on when she was found. to bed shortly afterwards, while Mr ed at the St. James’s clinic after and he had come to terms with his Paul’s mother, Christine Cum- Cumberton’s death at the Dublin was later pronounced death. of drugs — particularly when Court, Artane, Dublin city died Sergeant Michael Higgins said it She said “it was like someone was Chaney stayed up watching TV. vomiting blood and was admitted to drug dependency, but unfortunately berton heard her son come in City Coroner’s Court, the coroner A toxicology screening at the cocaine and ecstasy are involved. from hypoxic brain damage caused was common practice for people to after taking her out of a flat and At 2am Mr Doyle entered the St James’s on June 9. his health was irreparably damaged from a night out in the early issued a warning of the dangers State Laboratory revealed Griffin “The levels are relatively low, but by cocaine toxicity 20 hours later on swallow pills or try holding them in dumping her”. sitting room where he found Mr He had developed a rare fungal because of the drug use. This is hours of December 18. He went to of “experimenting” with drugs. had just small amounts of ecstasy deaths associated with use of June 25, 2006, at the A&E depart- their mouths when caught. There were no witnesses to the Chaney slumped on the ground. blood infection. He subsequently something we see quite frequently bed immediately. “There is always a risk of sud- and cocaine in his blood, 0.3 micro- cocaine and ecstasy are not dose ment at Beaumont hospital. He said it was an extremely dan- event, but a subsequent garda The Coroner recorded a verdict of died from a rare form of HIV-related in the coroner’s court — people die She called him the following den death, even if you only take grams per millilitre of ecstasy and related. Both of these drugs can A subsequent screening revealed gerous practice, especially when the investigation found that there were death by misadventure. pneumonia. years later from infections relating day at around 1pm but was not the drugs for the first time,” he 0.06 micrograms per millilitre of cause effects on the heart. It’s an Onyango had an extremely high lev- drugs are ready for the street and no suspicious circumstances. At an inquest into Mark’s death in to their drug use.” unduly surprised when he didn’t said. cocaine, but they were sufficient to unpredictable toxic reaction.” el of cocaine in his blood. the plastic dissolves very easily.

8 NOVEMBER 20, 2007 9 User:fredkenneally Date:16/11/2007 Time:19:22:15Edition:20/11/2007 ExSupplement XS2011DRUGSPage:10 Color:

VIEW FROM THE GROUND

EXPERT VIEW Dange r o u s HEROIN Category Opiate (Painkiller) S Status it BI Category Legal ubstance, NNA controlled s dis- CA Sedative/Hallucinogen A o import, Legal an offence t it. Status is or supply It is illegal to grow, produce, s habi t s tribute, produce upply or possess. Short-term effects After smoking, ater effects start within a few minutes Short-term in w and can last dissolved several hours if high doses are t effects potent, easily barrier Significant aken. Mairéad Lyons and Des Corrigan, righ t , relatively the blood-brain It perceptual distortions are relatively Heroin is morphine. but possible rare and penetrates parent drug after high doses. Relaxed feelings for injecting, than its immediate talkativeness. and on the vulnerability of certain age quickly it a practically pre- much more giving the opiate Long Term groups and professional groups to be smoked, heroin is o six effects can also hese reasons last three t Psychological dependence For all t sers. Effects plea- and respiratory prob- drugs effect. drug u be an intensely lems possible, including lung by many here can hours. cancer. ferred injection t after eight How Long it stays in your System hours. After begins Light smoker ush. Withdrawal - 1 to 3 days surable r and psychologi- Moderate smoker effects physical a few - 3 to 5 days Long-term leads to after Heavy smoker invariably can occur and the - 10 Days Heroin Dependence is difficult, Trade or slang name LLEGAL drug use is a youth phe- and the numbers seeking drug treat- addicted, and cal dependency. once bone Smoke, Dope, Ganja, nomenon, more men than women ment increase each year. Withdrawal, weats, Marijuana, Blow, Pot, Draw, days. drowsiness, s anxious breathing, Grass, Weed. use drugs and cannabis is the most Access to illegal drugs is considered include cramps, can be I symptoms diarrhoea, Overdosing Method of use commonly used drug, followed by easy by most people. Moreover, when pain, coma. of alco- muscle even amounts There are three cocaine for last year use. asked about where people obtain ille- and possibly with large infection vomiting it risk of forms of Cannabis: Heroin has the smallest prevalence gal drugs, most report getting them as can combining a greater fatal, carries Oil, Herbal and yet historically has caused the most from family and/or friends. Cannabis Sharing needles problems (addiction, involvement in was twice as likely to be shared hol. and Hepatitis. Resin. Herbal HIV/AIDS in your system four days. crime, disease, overdose and deaths). amongst friends as cocaine. More peo- with it stays cannabis is smoked How long system approximately on its own. Cocaine is fast emerging as a problem- ple got cocaine from strangers than in your Gear, Resin or Can last Name Brown, oil is smoked atic drug with consequences for both those who took cannabis. or Slang Skag, H, in a Trade Smack, cigarette (joint) with individuals and communities. Over the last 10 years, NACD re- trong painkiller, Injecting of heroin and cocaine is search has shown that fewer young A s Junk. tobacco or on their ck, Yack, not uncommon and has consequences people aged 15-24 took up opiate use in Ta se own through a pipe of u injected. for mental and physical health. Blood 2001 than in 1996. Communities have Method niffed or or other device. borne infections continue to rise with reported seeing a visible difference in Smoked, s Resin is sometimes an estimated two thirds of injecting their experience of problem drug use eaten in cakes or drug users in treatment positive for with increases in availability of ser- other foods. Hepatitis C. vices, reductions in unemployment Whilst fewer drug users are HIV and increased opportunities for young positive than have Hepatitis C, there people together with reductions in ear- continues to be new cases of HIV every ly school leaving. y e a r. Equally, communities are describing Some groups are more vulnerable worrying changes such as worsening than others, people who are homeless, of underage drinking and increasing involved in prostitution, have left anti-social behaviour, greater school early, Travellers and some eth- absenteeism from school and lack of nic groups experience greater respect for institutions such as An KNOWLEDGE IS POWER: WHICH DRUGS DO WHAT? marginalisation than others in our Garda Síochána. These changes are as- comm u ni t ie s . sociated with cocaine and alcohol use. In addition, some problem drug Information from the Drug Trend users face multiple issues such as poly Monitoring System Pilot (DTMS) study substance use, mental ill-health, litera- pointed to similar experiences with a cy issues, poverty and homelessness shift in interest from ecstasy to co- which can have a negative impact on caine and greater levels of underage positive outcomes in the short to medi- drinking. um term. The DTMS also highlighted that dif- The National Advisory Committee ferent areas in Ireland had different on Drugs (NACD) has over the last six drug experiences, with heroin use out- years provided advice to Government side of Dublin increasing but is at pro- based on information it has gathered. portionately smaller levels relative to A CRYSTAL METH The NACD was first to commission a other substance use. MPHE Category population drug prevalence survey Nonetheless, it is important to re- TAMI Amphetamine which established that one-in-five peo- member that most people in Ireland NE Legal status Category ple have taken an illegal drug in their have never taken an illegal drug and It is illegal to s Stimulant ell, possess or supply. lifetime and that young people aged that one-fifth had never taken either Short-term effects 15-34 are five times more likely to have tobacco, alcohol or an illegal drug. Legal Status Methylamphetamine can bring used illegal drugs in the last month Whilst 75% of people have taken a The Misuse of Drugs Act prohibits their on a feeling of exhilaration and produces increased than older people aged 35-64. drink in the last month, the frequency unauthorised production, supply or posses- activity arousal and Cannabis is the most commonly used of use is distributed across all social sion. It is also an offence to allow one's levels. It also reduces illegal drug across all time periods, s t r at a. premises be the venue for same. tiredness Short-term effects and suppresses appetite. It caus- lifetime, last year and last month use. On closer examination, those in so- es Strong stimulants. Effects last 3-4 hours. At a rapid heart rate and a rise in On average, men are twice as likely cial grade A, B (professionals, senior & blood pressure, to have used an illegal drug as women middle management, senior civil ser- higher doses intense exhilaration and feelings and the higher the dose the greater in their lifetime, in the last year and vants and business owners) were more of greatly increased mental and physical abili- these ef- ties, sometimes panic and paranoia. After a fects. in the last month. Whilst cocaine was likely to have drank more days in a Long-term ranked 5th most commonly used drug month than those in other social run of repeated doses over several days, a effects Other acute in one’s lifetime, it is the second most grades (C2 skilled manual workers; D temporary psychotic state is possible. Immedi- effects include agitation, paranoia, commonly used drug for last year use. semi-skilled and unskilled workers). ate and intensely rush after injection. Direct confusion overdose deaths are rare. and violence. As with other Other research commissioned by the However, those in social grades C2 amphetamines, NACD has shown the consequences of and D were more likely to have con- Long-term effects methylam- phetamine is cannabis use which can be very seri- sumed five or more drinks on one oc- Regular frequent use is associated with gen- a drug that af- fects the brain r ous for individuals. casion (binge drinking) each week erally poor health due to lack of sleep and eward path- poor appetite. Withdrawal effects can be se- ways and use can lead to Whilst it is impossible to know in than those in higher social grades. psychological advance how a person might react to It is clear that some people in society vere. and physical dependence. Using the drug cannabis, it is clear that about are more vulnerable to problematic How long it stays in your system venous by intra- injecting or by smoking is particularly one-in-five people in Ireland will have use than others.Internationally, risk Can last in your system for up to four days. dictive. ad- a negative experience. This can range factors for problematic drug use have Trade or Slang Name How long it stays in your system? from the unwanted effects of feeling been identified as leaving school early Speed, Whizz, Uppers, Billy, Dexedrine, and Smoking t he purer crystalline form (also dizzy and ill, to having a psychotic or poor educational attainment, unem- Sulphate as 'crystal known meth' or 'ice') produces a v episode. ployment, family history of addiction Method of use 'rush' ery intense similar to that produced by crack Cannabis use heightens the risk of and/ or of mental health issues, family Orally or injected but longer-lasting cocaine — between four and 12 hours. heart disease, of head, neck and lung conflict or breakdown, involvement in Trade or slang name cancers and of mental ill-health. Some crime, anti-social behaviour, socialis- Ice, glass, Tina and Christine. heavy users of cannabis will experi- ing in drug-using networks. The Method of use ence short term memory loss and greater the number of risk factors pre- Smoked or injected interference with co-ordination. sent, the greater the risk and complex- Cannabis appears to be the drug of ity. experimentation in Ireland given the Recent NACD research has shown numbers that start and stop use. Peo- that Travellers in Ireland experience ple can become dependent on many of these risk factors and thus cannabi s . are particularly vulnerable to develop- Cocaine has very profound conse- ing problems with drugs. quences for users regardless of the Furthermore, NACD research has amount consumed. shown that over one-third of those who Cocaine purity is decreasing and aver- are homeless are problematic drug ages at about 25%, with the most com- users, at least one-third has a BENZODIAZEPINES mon adulterant being lignocaine, a diagnosis of a psychiatric illness and local anaesthetic. Whilst most people over half are problematic drinkers. reported stopping cocaine use for cost About one-fifth used five or more reasons, one-in-five reported they drugs, injected drugs and risk be- Category stopped for health reasons. haviour was spread across all areas of Depressant Cocaine can have a major effect on homelessness from B&Bs to hostels to Legal status the heart, lungs, brain and kidneys sleeping rough. This adds to the diffi- Prescription-only medicines E leading to heart attacks, respiratory culties of providing drug treatment Short-term effects CSTA failure, kidney failure and strokes or and caring for the person in an holis- Relief from anxiety and tension SY brain haemorrhage. Frequent or binge tic manner. is achieved with less drowsiness use can lead to mental health problems Having a dual diagnosis (mental and lack of co-ordination than such as anxiety, depression, paranoia, ill-health and drug dependence) makes On with alcohol or barbiturates. erious liver damage. aggression and compulsive behaviour. it harder for people to comply with ei- doses Evidence of s sys- their own, enormous stays in your Nose bleeds are not uncommon and ther treatment, take medications and cause over- How long it would be required to Category so sharing equipment to snort cocaine attend appointments. feelings Hallucinogen tem dose death. Pleasurable Stimulant/ our system approxi- increases the risk of hepatitis infec- Finally, so much knowledge and in- not usually Can last in y with diazepam but Legal Status supply tion. Those who inject cocaine sight has been gained in the last num- possess or mately 3 days. with other benzodiazepines. Illegal to sell, name increase the risk of abscess, clots, ber of years due to improvements in effects Trade or slang Long-term effects Short-term of MDMA, Adams, hepatitis and HIV infections. data collection, availability of informa- edation effects E, Yokes, Pills, Biscuits, Sometimes chronic s Similar to general plus feel- Disco The NACD survey showed that 91% tion and completion of Irish based re- high doses Eves, XTC, Doves, Denis and lethargy and after low-dose amphetamines others. Edward, of those who had used cocaine in the s ea r ch. de- towards Shamrock, Adam, chronic intoxication. Physical ings of empathy at low last month had also taken alcohol. This knowledge has informed policy occurred even the Menace. pendence can occur after Deaths have to se Combined use of alcohol and and the delivery of drug treatment and yn- ymptoms similar Method of u long-term use. Withdrawal s doses with s tablet or capsules. cocaine produces another drug in the harm reduction services. anxi- Swallowed as drome commonly includes heatstroke. body called cocaethylene which can be Alcohol continues to be a major but effects ety, restlessness and tremor, Long-term more toxic than either drug alone. problem drug in Ireland and is linked han is usually much less severe t Similar to amphetamines. Cocaine use can quickly lead to closely to the majority of drug related barbiturates. dependence. Communities are seeing deat h s . Trade or slang name growing levels of intimidation and vio- Families continue to experience iso- Valium, Mogadon and Librium, lence associated with cocaine use. Hos- lation, lack of support and loss. Drug Jellies, Lorazepam. pitals have seen a four-fold increase in users continue to need a range of treat- Method of use admissions due to cocaine use, treat- ment and rehabilitation options and Swallowed or injected ment demand has increased three-fold information needs to be more readily and offences relating to cocaine have available and widely accessible. increased exponentially. ■ Mairéad Lyons and Des Corrigan are More men than women have been with the National Advisory Committee treated for cocaine and cannabis use on Drugs (NACD).

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