Ireland’s Justice Minister: ‘Don’t normalise heroin for kids’

The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration has warned that decriminalising drugs in Ireland is only likely to exacerbate existing social problems.

Responding to a question by Gary Gannon TD concerning the Joint Committee on Drugs Use’s recent liberalising recommendations, Jim O’Callaghan TD said that decriminalising drugs would “increase the use of drugs generally”.

In its final report, published last month, the Committee of nine TDs and five Senators proposed total drug decriminalisation and the expansion of drug consumption rooms, where users can take illegal substances without fear of arrest.

Heroin

O’Callaghan pointed out that under the proposals the Garda would no longer be unable to challenge a person “taking heroin outside a school or smoking joints in a park or another public area”.

“If people can take those drugs openly without the Garda being able to say they cannot do that, it will have a very negative influence on people, especially children. If they see this happening, it is going to be normalised.”

He observed: “British Columbia introduced decriminalisation about three years ago and is reversing out of it now because, it says, it has led to much public disorder and much public taking of drugs.”

Consequences

Speaking following the publication of the Committee’s report, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín also warned that decriminalisation would “lead to personal drug use becoming socially acceptable”.

“There is already a very permissive attitude towards cannabis in particular, as anyone who walks through our cities knows. It’s everywhere, and it’s awful. From other cities’ experience, that gets much worse.”

Deputy Ken O’Flynn of Independent Ireland added: “Nobody disputes that addiction needs a health response. But health-led and consequence-free are not the same thing. Cocaine, cannabis and other so-called gateway drugs do real and lasting damage.

“Before this Committee asks the State to step back from enforcement, I want to see the basics in place. Where is the national addiction treatment capacity plan? Where are the residential treatment beds?”