Our drug policies are not working - just walk down the street of any town and see the reality of the negative impact of illegal consumption.
The begging hands of drug addicts, homeless and effected by the corrosive nature of heroin and the cocaine-fuelled street fights.
Speaking to Dr Chris Luke last week, a former Emergency Department doctor and current academic in public health, he believes that 30% of the Irish population are consuming drugs on a daily basis.
He believes on a busy city street on a Saturday night 80% of people are under the influence of illegal drugs.
Call to an Emergency Department on any given night or the cell area of a busy garda station - there will be people there having the worst day of their lives because of the drugs they consumed.
I have seen it directly while working in Limerick city as a garda. The trouble caused by drugs in Irish society is not just gangland violence but the gathered mayhem of mental health and societal difficulties that have far reaching consequences.
As a garda most of the trouble on the streets is caused by one of two families of drugs, alcohol and illegal substances.
Now the Government want to offer a different solution where we essentially tell people that it isn’t their fault when caught with drugs. This craze of no blame strategies for drugs does not help - common sense dictates it will makes it more likely that people will consume.
If there are no real consequences then where is the disincentive?
It will be ideal for young middle class kids taking middle class drugs but lets be honest the real problem users, the addicts, are well beyond the system that will offer them medical rehabilitation.
The State doesn’t fund frontline services appropriately; do people really think these services will be appropriately funded?
The worry for law enforcement is that this is a creeping legalisation. I was on the frontline of drug policing; it was never a war on users or drugs, it is a war on organised crime.
Since legalisation in Colorado that US State has seen a three fold increase in the black market, that is more organised crime.
By all means come up with new ideas to fight the scourge or drugs but at least come up with strategies that will work.
