Pubdate: Sun, 16 Dec 2007
Source: Sunday Business Post (Ireland)
Copyright: 2007 The Sunday Business Post
Contact:  http://www.sbpost.ie/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/577
Author: Nicola Cooke
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

COCAINE TREATMENT CENTRE FOR DUBLIN'S DOCKLANDS

A new centre to treat cocaine users will open in Dublin by early 
February, most likely near the International Financial Services 
Centre or in the south docklands.

A second cocaine clinic will open later next year in one of Dublin's 
suburbs - possibly on the southside of the city -while extra services 
are to be made available for cocaine users at Arbour House in St 
Finbarr's Hospital, Cork in spring next year.

The new and increased services are part of a renewed emphasis on 
dealing with the use of cocaine and multiple drugs under the 
government's national drugs strategy. The first cocaine-specific 
drop-in centre opened in Galway city last June, but demand for 
services has not been as high as the health authorities expected.

As a result, a major public awareness campaign about the dangers of 
drug use will be launched in January.

It will involve radio and newspaper advertising, interactive digital 
media services, outdoor advertising on buses and billboards, and 
indoor advertising in the bathrooms of bars and night clubs.

Pat Carey, the Minister of State with responsibility for drugs 
strategy, said recent meetings he had about the drugs problem 
highlighted the fact that people were not seeking out the services, 
which meant the drug users themselves "should be sought out instead".

"I have been in a lot of meetings about the drugs issue recently, and 
from the medical perspective, there is an opinion that it is 
necessary to go out and actively seek those users who don't regard 
themselves as addicts," Carey said.

"We will be targeting workplaces and social venues with a 
high-profile information campaign. We want to trigger the message 
about the dangers of drugs use in a variety of ways - which will 
actually reach these people or is easily accessible to them - and a 
media strategy will form part of that too."

Meanwhile, private treatment centres are starting to run seminars for 
employers who may need to deal with the problem of drugs affecting 
their employees' performance.

Forest, a privately-owned centre in Wicklow, is running a seminar 
next month to give employers the skills to have a discussion with an 
employee they suspect of having a drug problem. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake