Individual waiting weeks for addiction treatment says Fallon

The crux of the drugs issues is "demand", said Cllr Padraig Fallon at the latest meeting of the Leitrim Joint Policiing Committee adding that he felt "much more needs to be done on reducing the demand" and said that more resources needs to go towards prevention. 

Cllr Fallon said he was aware of instances where "a family has been intimidated because a member of the family, a son or a daughter, had a debt and fortunately, they did go the Gardaí because they were aware they could go to the Gardaí."

He said that Ireland as an island has changed due to Brexit and "is quickly becoming a destination hub" and that the drugs unit needs more resources. 

Cllr Fallon said he has been working with an individual seeking addiction treatment and "this is going on almost two weeks at this stage and the earliest date they can get in anywhere is December 19 and that is not guaranteed."

Detective Supt. McCormack said that he worked from the national drug strategy and said there is an awareness that there has to be "a health-led approach" in tandem with a criminal justice approach. 
"We are the fourth highest consumers per capita of cocaine in the world", he revealed, adding "there are a lot of people, in every county and every parish, who are taking large amounts of cocaine and also large amounts of cannabis. There are services and programmes running around the country involved in education, starting with the School Bus programme."

He said there are a lot of programmes including Drug and Alcohol Task Forces, the Probation Service and Fás Le Chéile, trying to "divert people away from drug use and anything that can be done to improve that education and demand reduction side is to be welcomed."