Huge deficit in funding to help people out of drugs culture

THERE is a huge deficit in funding to help those wanting to quit the drugs culture, Mayor Pio Smith has said.

Speaking at the Joint Policing meeting, he said that in his own experience, he could go to houses and see five year olds whom he knows will have problems by the time they are early teenagers.

Organisations battling the use of drugs are operating with the same budgets they had years ago, despite the growing problem.

‘We have to put the resources in to take the drugs issue seriously,’ he stated.

Chief Supt Mangan agreed that there was a big lack of supports out there. ‘Gardai arrest someone, charge them, but know they are going right back into it. They are told to go to a doctor or the A&E for help.’

‘For a young person who wants to give it up, there’s not many options,’ he stated.

Drogheda gardai have been cracking down on the sale and supply of drugs with 28 sale and supply cases and 136 cases of simple possession in the past year. There have been 590 searches also.

Those suffering intimidation as a result of drug debts should meet the gardai discreetly as they can help. Chief Supt Christy Mangan said that intimidation was a ‘serious problem’ but people can discuss issues with the gardai.

‘It does not necessarily mean making a statement or putting people in a more precarious situatiom. We will deal with these things in a compassionate and confidential manner’, he stated.

Imelda Munster TD expressed her concerns about the increase in heroin in the town and asked what progress had been made in relation to detecting dealers . ‘ There has been a rise in the number of addicts. This ravages a community.’