A southside drugs task force recently staged an awareness campaign to highlight the growing problems of substance abuse in the area.
The Dublin 12 Local Drugs Task Force held its ‘Positive Health in Dublin 12’ awareness campaign to reduce the number of people turning to drugs.
The task force, which is based on St Agnes Road in Crumlin, supports projects in the area that provide local day care drug treatment and rehabilitation services to people of all ages.
The task force also supports measures aimed at reducing the harm to those actively using drugs.
Cormac O’Toole, project development worker at the task force, said its campaign focused on alcohol consumption, prescription drugs and the use of cannabis weed due to the increasing prevalence of the misuse of these drugs in the area.
“We are seeing a substantial increase in alcohol and cannabis weed use, which has a much stronger potency of THC, the chemical that causes greater levels of psychosis,” he explained.
He said that many of those presenting with cannabis related problems were turning up at the Dublin 12 based ‘Ciall’ youth drug addiction service that helps those under 18 years of age.
“Another issue that has emerged quite strongly is the sharing of prescription drugs like benzos [benzodiazepine] and we are trying to raise awareness around that.
“Benzos have one of the highest rates of addiction. Once you start using them regularly they become physically addictive and you need increased quantities.
“Users have very high levels of lethargy but people can also become quite aggressive when they are taking benzos,” he added. “It is one of the worst addictions you can have.”
A range of events catering for both the public and selected audiences took place during the course of the drug awareness campaign.
Mr O’Toole said that the task force held a number of talks on the dangers associated with the use of benzodiazepines at local addiction services.
Source: Jamie Deasy, dublinpeople.com, 15/10/12
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