Pubdate: Wed, 05 Dec 2007 Source: Kerryman, The (Ireland) Copyright: 2007 Independent Newspapers Limited Contact: http://www.kerryman.ie Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4648 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) WE MUST FACE THE REALITY OF COCAINE USE The truth is, drug use in Ireland is widespread and it is not confined to any one sector of society. Whether or not some high-profile people are taking the drug is only part -- and arguably a less important part - -- of the broader issue. Cocaine use in Ireland has dominated the media is recent weeks. We have been bombarded by revelations and debate over the use of cocaine by professional people and those who met their death through its use. Justine Delaney Wilson's book, "The High Society", sparked a political row and media frenzy. The debate quickly moved from cocaine use to the credentials of the author and whether or not she had recorded evidence that a government minister admitted to using the drug. Her book was subsequently made into a television series that sparked further controversy. Meanwhile, RTE's "Prime Time Investigates" will examine the use of cocaine in Ireland next Monday night. This week, model Katy French was fighting for her life after collapsing at a party -- just one week after she admitted that she had used cocaine. And tragedy struck in County Waterford when a young man lost his life after taking cocaine. Closer to home, a number of tragic deaths in Kerry have been linked to the use of cocaine and other drugs over the past year. We appear to be stuck in a revolving debate about whether or not cocaine use is an issue in Ireland when, for a long time up to now, we have sufficient hard and anecdotal evidence to prove that cocaine use is a growing problem. And the problem is not confined to larger cities. It is a simple fact that cocaine use is on the increase in Kerry. There are several cocaine users in every village and town in this county. The users range from between those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds to well-to-do professional people. The price of and status associated with cocaine originally confined its use in Ireland to a narrow stratum of society that could afford to buy it. But the volume of cocaine now available in Kerry and elsewhere has seen the price drop and cocaine has now become an affordable drug for all classes in society. Yet there still appears to be an overwhelming need to prove cocaine use in Ireland. It's almost as if we need to witness tragedy and have documented proof of a cause of death before we admit that it really is killing people. Nobody in Kerry stands at a street corner selling cocaine to strangers. Neither do people snort cocaine from a bar counter in full view of others. The majority of people who take the drug do not show visible signs that they are under its influence. That's not how it works. Cocaine and other drugs are offered in a friendly, non-threatening manner to people who end up in the same circles in bars, nightclubs, house parties and often in far more unsuspecting environments and situations. Until such time as the majority of society -- including the media -- accept the fact that cocaine and other drug use is widespread in every community in Ireland, we cannot move any closer to tackling the problem. So far, the debate on tackling drug use in Ireland has centred on more rigid law enforcement and stiffer penalties for offenders. Unfortunately such simple solutions do not always solve complex problems. We can only rely on law enforcement to a limited extent. It is practically impossible for a garda force to monitor the vast number of people who may potentially be using drugs in private and secluded environments, including the privacy of ones own homes. It would be another tragic aspect of the drug issue in Ireland if we were to wait for more deaths before we acknowledge the problem and move to the next phase -- possible solutions. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin