‘Cocaine is in GAA every club, it’s frightening’ – Limerick legend Ciarán Carey

[Mike Tyson]

Genuine question. Why would legalising then help?

It doesn't. It makes it worse. I have no idea why people push this argument. Is it the tax revenue?

How does it make it worse?

Explain to me how diverting (wasted) resources from chasing, arresting, charging and prosecuting individuals for carrying small amounts of drugs to a more public-health based approach makes things worse?

You're literally freeing up hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds that can be put towards treating drug addicts, needle exchanges, funding educational programmes etc rather than pissing away time, money and resources on a battle you're never going to win.

I think we all know this wouldn't be the case and it would be spunked on an overpriced contract to a mate of some MP. Does the tax revenue from alcohol go toward rehab and help for alcoholics?

[Milltown Row2]

It would remove the criminality aspect of it on either side - i.e. taker and seller. It would bring in tax. Gone are drug gangs. Quality can be controlled etc etc as you do hear of people dying with "bad batches" etc.

(That's not me arguing it's right - legalising cocaine etc too far for me but those are arguments you hear. It wouldn't remove addiction problems which are a huge problem.).

They would still be about there would still be money to be made from it just look at cigarettes and diesel to name just 2 products that criminal gangs like to get their hands dirty with.

It something can be bought cheaper there are a lot of people who will buy it and not care about quality.

Doing what they are doing now (nothing) isn't going to help fix it, a different approach is required

[Armagh18]

No issue with testing any county player who is in receipt of GPA funds

I think it's one of the Sports Council pre-requisites for doling out the loot

Taking that money confers a certain responsibility on a player IMO

Now, club teams is an entirely different thing entirely...

If the GAA really did want to make a stand they'd do random testing of club and county teams. Zero tolerance, anyone with illegal drugs in the system gets a year ban. How long does the likes of coke etc stay in the system?

Are we doing other banned substances for club players? how long would Anabolic steroids, give them a year ban also, anyone using ventilators to the scum bags

crazy, lads who are maybe young and dabbling get drug tested, banned from the club for a year, their parents find out and they are the tall of the town/ village. What is that gonna do for the lad, make them feel better or send them further down the substance abuse road.

We talk about the GAA being a community organisation but we are gonna ban lads/ girls from taking part and being involved because they took a recreational drug? seems a bit much to me

That'd be the way to do it, zero tolerance so everyone knows where they stand. Never gonna happen though.

[Milltown Row2]

No issue with testing any county player who is in receipt of GPA funds

I think it's one of the Sports Council pre-requisites for doling out the loot

Taking that money confers a certain responsibility on a player IMO

Now, club teams is an entirely different thing entirely...

If the GAA really did want to make a stand they'd do random testing of club and county teams. Zero tolerance, anyone with illegal drugs in the system gets a year ban. How long does the likes of coke etc stay in the system?

Are we doing other banned substances for club players? how long would Anabolic steroids, give them a year ban also, anyone using ventilators to the scum bags

crazy, lads who are maybe young and dabbling get drug tested, banned from the club for a year, their parents find out and they are the tall of the town/ village. What is that gonna do for the lad, make them feel better or send them further down the substance abuse road.

We talk about the GAA being a community organisation but we are gonna ban lads/ girls from taking part and being involved because they took a recreational drug? seems a bit much to me

That'd be the way to do it, zero tolerance so everyone knows where they stand. Never gonna happen though.

No disrespect but you are talking out your arse, do you know the size of the organisation? How many players it caters for in an amateur or pastime recreational sport?

Who is funding that? Carey? FFS some clubs can't afford to keep the boiler on for showers or get the grass cut!

[statto]

I generally talk out my ass here for the craic, but there is some waffle going on here, pub soccer teams in the south getting tested and lads looking club players tested also!! Jesus wept!

Be testing for alcohol next!

some gaa clubs probably send goons around to local pubs to see if drinking

Or younger lads just put it on their socials and then want to know who rats them out!

[general_lee]

Genuine question. Why would legalising then help?

It doesn't. It makes it worse. I have no idea why people push this argument. Is it the tax revenue?

How does it make it worse?

Explain to me how diverting (wasted) resources from chasing, arresting, charging and prosecuting individuals for carrying small amounts of drugs to a more public-health based approach makes things worse?

You're literally freeing up hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds that can be put towards treating drug addicts, needle exchanges, funding educational programmes etc rather than pissing away time, money and resources on a battle you're never going to win.

Even if you legalise some drugs then people will just move to other illegal ones and you can't legalise everything. There is a legal drug,  alcohol, but people always want more.

Make them all legal. Criminalise the wholesalers.

[Kidder81]

Genuine question. Why would legalising then help?

It doesn't. It makes it worse. I have no idea why people push this argument. Is it the tax revenue?

How does it make it worse?

Explain to me how diverting (wasted) resources from chasing, arresting, charging and prosecuting individuals for carrying small amounts of drugs to a more public-health based approach makes things worse?

You're literally freeing up hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds that can be put towards treating drug addicts, needle exchanges, funding educational programmes etc rather than pissing away time, money and resources on a battle you're never going to win.

Even if you legalise some drugs then people will just move to other illegal ones and you can't legalise everything. There is a legal drug,  alcohol, but people always want more.

Make them all legal. Criminalise the wholesalers.

How do you work with someone on heroin when you legalise it ?

[clarshack]

Genuine question. Why would legalising then help?

It doesn't. It makes it worse. I have no idea why people push this argument. Is it the tax revenue?

How does it make it worse?

Explain to me how diverting (wasted) resources from chasing, arresting, charging and prosecuting individuals for carrying small amounts of drugs to a more public-health based approach makes things worse?

You're literally freeing up hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds that can be put towards treating drug addicts, needle exchanges, funding educational programmes etc rather than pissing away time, money and resources on a battle you're never going to win.

San Fransisco (California) - Thats why drugs shouldn't be legal

wife works with someone who was there recently and they said it was the worst place they have ever visited.

[general_lee]

Genuine question. Why would legalising then help?

It doesn't. It makes it worse. I have no idea why people push this argument. Is it the tax revenue?

How does it make it worse?

Explain to me how diverting (wasted) resources from chasing, arresting, charging and prosecuting individuals for carrying small amounts of drugs to a more public-health based approach makes things worse?

You're literally freeing up hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds that can be put towards treating drug addicts, needle exchanges, funding educational programmes etc rather than pissing away time, money and resources on a battle you're never going to win.

Even if you legalise some drugs then people will just move to other illegal ones and you can't legalise everything. There is a legal drug,  alcohol, but people always want more.

Make them all legal. Criminalise the wholesalers.

How do you work with someone on heroin when you legalise it ?

How do you work with someone if they're blocked?

[shark]

Genuine question. Why would legalising then help?

It doesn't. It makes it worse. I have no idea why people push this argument. Is it the tax revenue?

How does it make it worse?

Explain to me how diverting (wasted) resources from chasing, arresting, charging and prosecuting individuals for carrying small amounts of drugs to a more public-health based approach makes things worse?

You're literally freeing up hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds that can be put towards treating drug addicts, needle exchanges, funding educational programmes etc rather than pissing away time, money and resources on a battle you're never going to win.

San Fransisco (California) - Thats why drugs shouldn't be legal

wife works with someone who was there recently and they said it was the worst place they have ever visited.

I go there a few times a year with work. It has regressed at an alarming rate over the past few years.

[manwithnoplan]

As prevalent as cocaine has become in recent years, I'd say alcohol remains a much bigger scourge on Irish society and on the healthcare systems north and south. Talk of testing and banning club players is nonsense. If we're going down that road then we need to make sure we test all players who have driven to a game on a Sunday for alcohol in their blood. In my eyes, this isn't the responsibility of the GAA. Someone here mentioned steroids, I'd say it presents more danger on the field to opponents when juiced up lads are piling in to a challenge, creating a higher risk of injuring another player. If anything that would be more necessary to police within the GAA, and not recreational drugs (as bad as may be in general terms).

[statto]

Genuine question. Why would legalising then help?

It doesn't. It makes it worse. I have no idea why people push this argument. Is it the tax revenue?

How does it make it worse?

Explain to me how diverting (wasted) resources from chasing, arresting, charging and prosecuting individuals for carrying small amounts of drugs to a more public-health based approach makes things worse?

You're literally freeing up hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds that can be put towards treating drug addicts, needle exchanges, funding educational programmes etc rather than pissing away time, money and resources on a battle you're never going to win.

Even if you legalise some drugs then people will just move to other illegal ones and you can't legalise everything. There is a legal drug,  alcohol, but people always want more.

Make them all legal. Criminalise the wholesalers.

How do you work with someone on heroin when you legalise it ?

How do you work with someone if they're blocked?

Implement a Drugs & Alcohol policy at work. 

[tonto1888]

It would remove the criminality aspect of it on either side - i.e. taker and seller. It would bring in tax. Gone are drug gangs. Quality can be controlled etc etc as you do hear of people dying with "bad batches" etc.

(That's not me arguing it's right - legalising cocaine etc too far for me but those are arguments you hear. It wouldn't remove addiction problems which are a huge problem.).

Would ot take away the criminality aspect? There are still criminal gangs making a lot of money from illicit cigarettes 

[imtommygunn]

Probably not entirely as you say but it would definitely reduce it significantly.

[Eire90]

are gaa players tested for roids and is there element of players getting bigger thats made the sport more robotic