Pubdate: Mon, 11 Feb 2002
Source: Irish Examiner (Ireland)
Copyright: Examiner Publications Ltd, 2002
Contact:  http://www.examiner.ie/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/144
Author: Michael O'Farrell
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

INNER CITY'S BATTLE WITH DRUGS

Michael O'Farrell Looks At The Problems Of Dublin Inner City

KNEELING before a can of cider placed on the altar steps of the parish 
church in Sean MacDermot Street in Dublin's inner city, a man is slowly 
banging his fists on the ground, pleading with God to give him the strength 
to give up drink and drugs.

To the man's left is the statue of Matt Talbot, who famously triumphed over 
addiction.

To his right a handmade patchwork quilt displays the names of some of the 
more than 300 locals who lost their lives to heroin.

The area just off O'Connell Street between Summerhill and Sean MacDermot 
Street has never shared equally in Ireland's wealth.

"The Celtic tiger went by here on an express train," says local Sinn Fein 
councillor, Christy Burke of a community not unlike many deprived areas of 
inner city Dublin.

The tough inner city neighbourhood of Summerhill and Sean MacDermot Street 
has endured a notoriously negative reputation for generations. Although 
improvements have been made, it is still heroin that this community is best 
known for. Heroin and its resulting violence, crime and death. It's a 
reputation difficult to overcome.

But it's an unjustified perception and locals are doing their best to turn 
it around, pointing to the many community support services and facilities 
that were non-existent ten years ago.

"There's a lot more services out there at the moment," says local resident, 
Joe Dowling, a drug support worker with the Inner City Organisations 
Network (ICON). "But there's still big problems with drugs. The dealing 
isn't as open as it was years ago but it's still there," he says.

Ironically, generations of drug abuse, leaving hardly any family untouched, 
has given this community it's most valuable strength. A strong community 
spirit means help is always at hand. Any improvements made over the years 
are largely due to locals fighting tooth and nail for their own community.

"It's an extremely good community in helping one another - one of the few 
places in Dublin like that. When any family has a problem even their worst 
enemy will help," says Father Jim Smith, a Jesuit who has worked all his 
life in the north inner city. But although the help is there, it can only 
succeed when people look for it.

"The difference now is the places are there for those who want it. But 
there are people using drugs from 12 onwards and that's the reality. Drugs 
are still here like they always were but we can only help people who want 
to be helped," says Val Kelly, who works for the Crinan Youth Project, a 
health board-funded drug treatment facility.

Many see education as the key.

"We need some kind of drugs education in the schools focused solely on 
addiction," says a local mother who wishes to remain anonymous.

"The situation hasn't changed that much. I don't think anybody has the 
answer but people do need to be caught before they slip through the net. 
There are still some as young as 13 who are falling through," she says. Six 
years ago her own son died from heroin.

Michael Bradley, 77, has lived in Summerhill all his life delivering coal. 
He is philosophical about the drugs problem. "The kids are not bad but the 
way it's gone now the drug money is too tempting."

While dealers continue to push their lucrative trade, crime continues to 
soar. The latest Garda report found Dublin's north inner city had the worst 
crime levels in Ireland.

The statistics are skewed due to a large amount of crime committed by 
visitors to the city centre with no connection to the community. 
Furthermore, the local population is quite small so that when crime in the 
area is recorded as a percentage per head of the population things seem 
worse than they really are.

Nevertheless crime is a major problem and is forefront in the minds of 
locals. Many children have come to view it as a form of fun.

Melissa Brazil, 10, who says she loves the area, likes watching the older 
boys joyriding. "It's good when they rob cars. I love watching them 
rallying the cars," she says as if speaking of a favourite hobby.

As she speaks three youths are ripping the door off a burnt out car 25 
metres away. Close by in the other direction a group of older youths sit 
behind the church breaking bottles and voicing menacing threats from behind 
half empty vodka bottles.

Despite all the best efforts of the community, a vicious circle is 
continuing unabated, fuelled, more often than not, by poverty and addiction.
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