Ireland’s drugs epidemic

Started by BennyCake, October 09, 2019, 12:27:25 AM

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tbrick18

...just to add, I agree with the sentiments that drugs seem to be much more widely available and socially acceptable than they were when I was a teenager.
My eldest is 14 and it terrifies me that she will become more exposed to that world in the very near future and kids being kids could make a bad choice. All you can do as a parent is try to educate and re-assure.
It's a scary world out there these days with social media, drugs, porn.....kids have such easy access to all of these things which we never had growing up. It puts a lot of pressure on them and I don't know what the answer is.

markl121

I left the holylands 4 years ago, the last year I was there (2015) coke was rife as well as ecstasy. Up to that point the only thing I'd ever experienced was weed being common and never had any encounters with the others.
Seemed to be a load of the 18year olds first moving up that year that were into it. It got to the point where ones were taking Es to sit in the bot downstairs bar and drink pints.
I used to love the Hatfield and there last year I happened to be in belfast so rang my friend to a pint for old times sake, was about 1pm on a Sunday. Lads were in the toilets doing coke.
Serious serious problem and I'm not sure how it can be helped. It's not like the ones in the holylands lack stimulus for things to do.

johnnycool

Quote from: Gaagaagaa20 on October 09, 2019, 10:30:44 AM
Quote from: HiMucker on October 09, 2019, 10:04:28 AM
Quote from: Gaagaagaa20 on October 09, 2019, 09:34:10 AM
Reality is individual clubs can take a stand against this by removing those who they know are involved in drug use from their teams and strip them of club membership. It has absolutely zero place in our communities or our association.
To be honest thats an absolute non runner. Impossible to police and unfair to expect club members to police it. Its not like fellas be landing down to the club off their nut. How would you go about it? "Johnny I hear you were doing a few lines at a party at the weekend, dont come back through those gates". Hes likely to tell you to go fcuk yourself.
Well then dont come crying and complaining when the culture develops. If this sort of stuff was nipped in the bud then there is no issue. People involved in this sort of carry on need ostracised from the community and then young people will think twice about engaging in behaviour like this. Not a nice thing to have to do but ultimately needed.

Would it not be better offering to get help to the lad rather to add to his woe's by booting him out of the club?

Same with lads who indulge in too much alcohol, smoking and even gambling.

It's all too easy to look down your nose at someone taking drugs, the alcoholic and the likes but sometimes it's very much a case of there but for the grace of God go I.

BennyCake

Quote from: markl121 on October 09, 2019, 11:19:18 AM
I left the holylands 4 years ago, the last year I was there (2015) coke was rife as well as ecstasy. Up to that point the only thing I'd ever experienced was weed being common and never had any encounters with the others.
Seemed to be a load of the 18year olds first moving up that year that were into it. It got to the point where ones were taking Es to sit in the bot downstairs bar and drink pints.
I used to love the Hatfield and there last year I happened to be in belfast so rang my friend to a pint for old times sake, was about 1pm on a Sunday. Lads were in the toilets doing coke.
Serious serious problem and I'm not sure how it can be helped. It's not like the ones in the holylands lack stimulus for things to do.

That's scary. Those students would have got drugs awareness sessions all through school, their generation is well educated on the dangers, yet it doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

Is it a herd mentality as to why people start? Are people afraid to say no? Drugs were always about when we were all younger but less people took them. What's the difference nowadays?

trailer

Ireland has a bigger problem with gambling and alcohol as opposed to Drugs. Drugs while a problem are no where near the epidemic that gambling or alcohol is.
Drugs are here to stay. It's now about education and management of the issue. Taking drugs in as safe a way as possible. Banning people from GAA clubs or pushing them to the fringes of society won't help. These people aren't the stereotypical "out of it crustys", they are everyday people, Accountants, Tradesmen, Doctors etc Drugs are in every town and village and they are here to stay.

GetOverTheBar

Quote from: trailer on October 09, 2019, 12:57:04 PM
Ireland has a bigger problem with gambling and alcohol as opposed to Drugs. Drugs while a problem are no where near the epidemic that gambling or alcohol is.
Drugs are here to stay. It's now about education and management of the issue. Taking drugs in as safe a way as possible. Banning people from GAA clubs or pushing them to the fringes of society won't help. These people aren't the stereotypical "out of it crustys", they are everyday people, Accountants, Tradesmen, Doctors etc Drugs are in every town and village and they are here to stay.

Very important point.

People are quick to see some fella steaming drunk "Oh he must be on drugs". So uninformed. People on drugs (I'm talking mostly the likes of Coke etc) operate quite easily day to day, indeed the stimulants from the drug actually helps their daily routine - believe it or not.


Eamonnca1

If someone has a drug issue then booting him out of the club is likely to make his problem worse, not better. Community is the best antidote to substance abuse.

RadioGAAGAA

All this talk of awareness ain't work a fúck.

Everyone is aware that it can be bad for ye - but most would think either "don't care" or "won't happen to me".

If folks want to take 'em and there is a ready supply - then there is very little you'll do to stop them.


But given that the dogs on the street know where to get their stuff, you'd wonder just what planet the police/courts system is operating on.
i usse an speelchekor

BennyCake

Quote from: RadioGAAGAA on October 09, 2019, 05:26:24 PM
All this talk of awareness ain't work a fúck.

Everyone is aware that it can be bad for ye - but most would think either "don't care" or "won't happen to me".

If folks want to take 'em and there is a ready supply - then there is very little you'll do to stop them.


But given that the dogs on the street know where to get their stuff, you'd wonder just what planet the police/courts system is operating on.

Yeah I think you're right.

And considering a hell of a lot of the drugs come into the country, makes you wonder what the police, customs, security, navy etc are at.

Eamonnca1

Quote from: RadioGAAGAA on October 09, 2019, 05:26:24 PM
All this talk of awareness ain't work a fúck.

Everyone is aware that it can be bad for ye - but most would think either "don't care" or "won't happen to me".

If folks want to take 'em and there is a ready supply - then there is very little you'll do to stop them.


But given that the dogs on the street know where to get their stuff, you'd wonder just what planet the police/courts system is operating on.

I'm sure if you spent infinite funds on suppressing the supply side then I'm sure you could stop it. I just think that the demand side is where you've got a better chance of getting results. The war on drugs has ended up causing more harm than the drugs themselves.

GetOverTheBar

Quote from: Eamonnca1 on October 09, 2019, 08:51:08 PM
Quote from: RadioGAAGAA on October 09, 2019, 05:26:24 PM
All this talk of awareness ain't work a fúck.

Everyone is aware that it can be bad for ye - but most would think either "don't care" or "won't happen to me".

If folks want to take 'em and there is a ready supply - then there is very little you'll do to stop them.


But given that the dogs on the street know where to get their stuff, you'd wonder just what planet the police/courts system is operating on.

I'm sure if you spent infinite funds on suppressing the supply side then I'm sure you could stop it. I just think that the demand side is where you've got a better chance of getting results. The war on drugs has ended up causing more harm than the drugs themselves.

The cat is out of the bag with regards to drugs, probably worldwide unfortunately. Nothing we can do.....but, chop the legs off the organised criminals who bring this stuff and profit from misery?

It's maybe time to start debating legalisation and therefore taxation at an extremely high level - Those of us who do not partake can expect National Services to be infinitely better, like somewhere say California who have undergone something similar. Those who are unfortunately 'hooked' for want of a better word can at least get drugs of relative 'clean' purity and in paying for them, still somehow contribute to society.

I know there are a lot of ifs and buts to the above. But I just don't see how else you can stop the supply of drugs worldwide. Maybe it's time we embraced some new thinking as the way it's looking right now, if you want it, you'll get it.

themac_23

Quote from: GetOverTheBar on October 10, 2019, 12:42:13 PM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on October 09, 2019, 08:51:08 PM
Quote from: RadioGAAGAA on October 09, 2019, 05:26:24 PM
All this talk of awareness ain't work a fúck.

Everyone is aware that it can be bad for ye - but most would think either "don't care" or "won't happen to me".

If folks want to take 'em and there is a ready supply - then there is very little you'll do to stop them.


But given that the dogs on the street know where to get their stuff, you'd wonder just what planet the police/courts system is operating on.

I'm sure if you spent infinite funds on suppressing the supply side then I'm sure you could stop it. I just think that the demand side is where you've got a better chance of getting results. The war on drugs has ended up causing more harm than the drugs themselves.

The cat is out of the bag with regards to drugs, probably worldwide unfortunately. Nothing we can do.....but, chop the legs off the organised criminals who bring this stuff and profit from misery?

It's maybe time to start debating legalisation and therefore taxation at an extremely high level - Those of us who do not partake can expect National Services to be infinitely better, like somewhere say California who have undergone something similar. Those who are unfortunately 'hooked' for want of a better word can at least get drugs of relative 'clean' purity and in paying for them, still somehow contribute to society.

I know there are a lot of ifs and buts to the above. But I just don't see how else you can stop the supply of drugs worldwide. Maybe it's time we embraced some new thinking as the way it's looking right now, if you want it, you'll get it.

Think thats probably the way things will happen, the thing at the minute is, even if there was  a massive effort to stop drugs getting into the country then due to the demand all that will happen is the drugs that do get in will be cut with even more crap and the purity diluted with zero regard for the end user, the dealers will still want their nice steady flow of cash and the user will still want their bag of powder regardless of the crap thats in it and sold to them as 'cocaine'

yellowcard

Was talking to a night club owner in a provincial town recently and he said that the sale of alcohol has fallen substantially over the last decade and put it down to the drug epidemic. He was of the opinion that the move towards recreational drugs with the youth was down to a few different things, namely aesthetics, cost and the ability to function more easily the next day. I'm not sure how true this is but it appears as though these class A drugs have become more socially acceptable with a younger generation. Alcohol misuse is a major problem in Ireland but at least it is a relatively controlled substance whereas these other recreational drugs are not.     

bennydorano

Drink being extortianately dear might have its part to play there.

whitey

Quote from: yellowcard on October 10, 2019, 01:17:49 PM
Was talking to a night club owner in a provincial town recently and he said that the sale of alcohol has fallen substantially over the last decade and put it down to the drug epidemic. He was of the opinion that the move towards recreational drugs with the youth was down to a few different things, namely aesthetics, cost and the ability to function more easily the next day. I'm not sure how true this is but it appears as though these class A drugs have become more socially acceptable with a younger generation. Alcohol misuse is a major problem in Ireland but at least it is a relatively controlled substance whereas these other recreational drugs are not.   

A niece of mine recently had an 18th birthday after party in a pub function room

Supposedly cocaine use was widespread among the attendees