Ireland’s drugs epidemic

[Taylor]

Drugs are everywhere now.  They are even rife in once republican heartland estates.  Some turnaround in society when you think about it. The fact remains though that 20 years ago, if you wanted them, you could get them.  Our young ones still have to make the right choices in life. Some will and some wont. 

The GAA is the centre of our community and should be doing it's best to help our young ones make the right choices and take the right path.  They should not be about ostracising young ones on the wrong road IMO.  The club could be the only chance an individual has of getting away from the dangers of drugs.

Great point however it doesnt just apply to drugs.
Know of a number of young lads in the club who were wild on the drink but because of the football and the 'drink bans' their love for the game meant they wouldnt have went mental on the drink for 8 months of the year (the other 4 months are a different story).

Now that the same lads are older/wiser/settled down the drinking isnt a prevalant.

I believe that without the football there would have been noting to stop the lads going mental on the drink leading to further problems

[David McKeown]

My other concern about the drugs is how much cheaper the harder stuff is becoming. Take Cocaine for example. The claim always was that the usual purity found for personal use in Northern Ireland is 8-10% but that’s based on a very small sample size done years ago. At the time it matched what was being detected in England and Wales. Last year they redid the analysis in England and Wales and the average purity has now increased to 54% which PSNI now accept would not be unusual if found here and in recent years small amounts of up to 80% pure have been detected in some instances.

[pbat]

Was working with a 17 year old apprentice when the Cookstown tragedy happened and conversation came to nights out and drink amongst the young ones. He told me a lot of his friends dont drink much now on a Friday or a Saturday, just a few early in someones house before they go to the club. They then get there bag of coke for 30-40 quid, gives them the 2-3 hour buzz they claim they need which they say they cant get on the drink for the same price. They wake up next morning relatively fresh with no hang over or smell of drink. Mammy and Daddy think they are great kids.

Dont know if there was any truth to what he was saying but I didnt see any reason not to believe him.