A copy of the working group’s draft confidential report, seen by the Irish Examiner, sets out two options for the Government. The first is a single strategy for alcohol and drugs, while the second is a continuation of separate strategies, but with the addition of a new substance co-ordination framework.
It is understood that while medical and community groups want a single strategy, the drinks industry and the Department of Health want to keep the strategies separate. One source said a letter was circulated between certain departments before the working group had finalised its work saying the strategies should be kept separate.
The National Drugs Strategy (NDS) is coordinated by the Department of Community Affairs, under a minister of state. Alcohol is included only in the context of people under 18 and polydrug use.
Alcohol itself comes under the Department of Health, which has published a number of documents, including two reports by the Strategic Task Force on Alcohol.
Proponents for a combined strategy argue that alcohol does not have the structure, focus, community involvement and political backing that illegal drugs has under the NDS. The working group did not reach consensus on this.
It said arguments for a single strategy were that alcohol and drugs could both lead to addiction; the distinction between alcohol and drugs such as cannabis and cocaine was increasingly blurred.
It said reasons against a combined strategy were that alcohol was a legal drug, alcohol issues could be overlooked and alcohol was too broad an issue.
The working group did agree that local and regional drug task forces could be expanded to help communities address alcohol.
But it said this should be done incrementally with adequate resources, targeted in distinct areas and aimed at specific age groups.
Source: Cormac O’Keeffe, The Irish Examiner, 16/09/2008
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