Michaél Martin doesn’t seem keen on the idea after it was brought up by Leo Varadkar.
FIANNA FÁIL LEADER Micheál Martin has warned against “knee-jerk” reactions to drug laws following the death of teenager Alex Ryan at the weekend.
A report in this morning’s Irish Independent quoted Health Minister Leo Varadkar as saying that drug testing facilities in nightclubs could be considered.
The potential move follows the Cork house party incident last week, which left one person dead and several hospitalised.
The idea would allow drug users have their drugs tested for potentially lethal ingredients and would require a change in legislation.
The Union of Students in Ireland is also advocating a campaign that encourages people to test their drugs if they decide to break the law by using them.
The young man who died on Saturday is one of six people who were hospitalised after taking the taking the psychoactive substance known as 2C-B.
The drug is not as common as other recreationally used drugs and the death demonstrated the dangers of potentially lethal substances being sold as something they are not.
But asked today about whether drug testing in nightclubs is one option, former health minister Martin was sceptical.
“Having come from a health background and testing and regulation and so on, there are enormous issues around that,” he said.
Source: Rónán Duffy, The Journal, 26/01/16
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