A landmark piece of research into Irish drug markets has revealed a trade more deeply entrenched than ever and delivers a sobering message that cannot be ignored, writes Cormac O’Keeffe.
It makes for sobering reading.
A drugs trade more deeply entrenched than ever, where young people are increasingly the foot soldiers and where levels of violence have worsened.
A market that has seen prices actually fall and where the availability has remained effectively unchanged despite the massive efforts of gardaí and customs.
The message comes from a landmark piece of research — the first of its type in Ireland.
Given the study was commissioned by the State’s own d rug and health research bodies and the depth of work involved — conducted over three years — it is a message that cannot be ignored.
The research investigated and detailed Irish drug markets, including the structure of gangs and the impact of garda interventions.
It involved interviews with drug dealers at various levels and interviews with gardaí in local drug units at all levels in four areas in the country.
This was supplemented by street surveys of more than 800 people in those areas.
Interviews were conducted with members of the Garda National Drugs Unit and Customs and access was given to the Garda Pulse system for arrest and seizure data.
It conducted a detailed analysis of drug purity from the four areas with the Forensic Science Laboratory.
The research, conducted during 2008 and 2010, was commissioned by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs and Alcohol and the Health Research Board, both attached to the Department of Health.
It is unfortunate that publication of the report was held up for years as it struggled to get the green light from a number of departments, including justice.
Summarising the findings, lead author Johnny Connolly said: “Drug markets are more integrated in local communities. The markets are younger, more violent, there are more varied types of drugs with new novel psychoactive drugs, drug prices have fallen and drug use has been largely unaffected by law enforcement.”
Mr Connolly, a criminologist at the HRB, accepted it was “a grim picture”, despite progress in other areas, including treatment services.
“Despite widespread concern about the societal impact of illicit drug markets and related crime, there has been an almost total absence of in-depth research and analysis of the organisation and impact of illicit drug markets in Ireland,” he said.
“Although significant resources are invested in responding to drug-related crime and other harms associated with illicit drugs, we have only a limited understanding of the impact of such interventions.”
A number of issues were examined by Mr Connolly, and co-researcher Marie Donovan, in their 300-page report.
Source: Cormac O'Keeffe, Irish Examiner, 24/10/14
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