‘ E’ TABLET LINK TO ILL STUDENT
GARDA PROBE AFTER YOUNG MAN FELL SERIOUSLY ILL AFTER NIGHT OUT IN SLIGO
A 22- year- old student remains in a critical condition at Sligo University Hospital after he was taken seriously ill from a house after a night out. The final year student at IT Sligo was with two others and were returning home when apparently one of them, not the young man who is currently fighting for his life, purchased ecstasy.
It was in the early hours of the morning that the young man became very ill and an ambulance attended at the scene along with Gardaí.
An investigation is underway by Gardaí into the circumstances surrounding the man’s sudden illness and the likelihood he consumed ecstasy.
It is understood one of the three young men has accepted responsibility for purchasing ecstasy.
The 22- year- old from Ballina remains at the Intensive Care Unit at Sligo University Hospital.
The incident comes amid fears of an ecstasy epidemic in Sligo at present amongst both third and second level students.
THERE are real concerns amongst Gardaí locally that ecstasy taking amongst the student population has reached an all time high.
It comes in the wake of the taking ill of a 22- year- old student from Ballina who remains in a critical condition at Sligo University Hospital after a night out in the town.
And, it’s not just amongst the third level students that Gardaí are focussing their attention on in recent weeks.
Second level students have also come under the radar of Gardaí who took the unprecedented move in the last couple of weeks to carry out searches in local secondary schools.
Lockers were searched by officers as they bid to clamp down on what has been described as a dramatic rise in the level of drug taking amongst students, particularly ecstasy.
Raids were also carried out at the homes of suspected dealers, some of whom are in their late teens.
The searches have shocked the parents of those involved.
Local Gardaí are also conducting talks at a number of schools as they bid to stem the tide of the latest epidemic.
“It’s never been worse. It’s very serious at present and needs to be dealt with.
“There needs to be a zero tolerance approach and that includes dealing with the small time buyers,” said one source close to the drugs scene in Sligo.
Garda resources is apparently a major issue as the force grapples with the problem.
A dedicated Garda Drugs Unit based at Sligo Garda Station is manned by one sergeant and three Gardaí which is seen as wholly inadequate for the city, let alone the Sligo/ Leitrim Division.
Experienced Gardaí are said to be shocked at the dramatic rise in illegal drug taking amongst the student pop- ulation in the city.
There’s also an issue with regard to the taking of prescription drugs according to the source.
Drug gangs have made considerable inroads into the student population in Sligo with a number being recruited to sell and deal on their behalf.
Students as young as 16 and 17 have been recruited to sell drugs in local secondary schools.
Recent Garda raids have resulted in young students being arrested and questioned as shocked parents look on and discover how their off- spring have been dealing in significant quantities of illegal drugs often under the radar of coming from respectable homes which have never come to Garda notice before. Gardaí have begun a clampdown which resulted in searches at local secondary over the past couple of weeks.
“The situation is getting out of hand and the taking to hospital of a young student in a critical condition has added to the concerns in Sligo at present,” said the source.