Government urged to honour drugs pledge
BY CONOR MARSHALL
The new government has been challenged to honour the pledge of
the previous administration to give major funding to community
drugs projects.
The call came as the South Inner City Local Drugs Taskforce
conducted a press launch, entitled ``Recreating Hope'' at the Oak
Room of the Mansion House, on Wednsday, 23 July. The taskforce
placed strong emphasis on community development and support to
tackle the heroin epidemic which has scourged the inner city.
They also recommended a more central role for community-based
recovery and drug free programs than had been available to date.
dre Lyder, chairperson of the Taskforce, stated that the South
Inner City was one of the worst affected areas in Dublin, and
that 1100 addicts had been identified in the taskforce area. He
said that as well as heroin, other drugs such as ecstacy,
sleeping tablets and especially methodone (a heroin substitute)
were being widely abused.
Vincent Doherty, Co-ordinator for the Task Force, stated that
heroin was a ``product of despair arising from conditions such as
inner city poverty, marginalisation, and hopelessness.''
``Heroin won't go away with window dressing,'' he added. ``Addicts
need help too. We don't use words like recovery lightly. It will
be a long and laborious task, but we, the community can help
addicts recover.
``There was a commitment by the previous government to give £20
million for community drug projects. We would like to see that
commitment adhered to,'' he added.
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