Pubdate: Tue, 23 Nov 1999
Source: Examiner, The (Ireland)
Copyright: Examiner Publications Ltd, 1999
Contact:  http://www.examiner.ie/

RUTHLESS DEALERS TARGETING CHILDREN

Children as young as 13 years are now being targeted by ruthless drug
dealers on their way to school in parts of Dublin and Cork.

Minister Chris Flood, who heads the Government’s National Drugs Strategy
Team, now believes the question of drugs misuse did not recognise any
particular age level.

"All children are now at risk in my opinion," he said.

Mr Flood acknowledged that in the past communities have been sorely
neglected by the State.

Such communities were entitled to look for significant resources and these
resources were now being channelled down to them, he pointed out.

There was simply so much money involved in the business that it drew in
ruthless people who had no morals and did not care for children, he said.

"We are trying to empower young people so they can decide for themselves
not to become involved." He believed that there was a tremendous fight back
on the part of local communities against the problem but admitted there was
a lot of catching up to do. David Connolly, chairperson of the Ballyfermot
Task Force, believes up to 1,000 people are abusing heroin in Ballyfermot,
an area that has a population of 25,000.

Those at risk were also getting younger and younger, he said. They knew
this from the activity of drug dealers in the area who were now targeting
children as young as 13 years.

He did not know the current going price for heroin but knew it had
decreased in the last couple of years.

Mr Connolly said many people still did not realise just how vast the drugs
business had become.

"Last week gardai got pounds 1m worth of drugs in Ballyfermot. There was a
previous drugs haul worth pounds 15m also destined for West Dublin."

He pointed out that the pounds 1m drugs bust would have represented about
two to three weeks’ supply. The haul also contrasted with the pounds
300,000 spent by the Drugs Task Force to tackle the drugs problem in
Ballyfermot over the last two years.

Lack of awareness was not the only reason young people misused drugs. "It
is no coincidence that the biggest concentration of heroin abuse is in
areas of Dublin that have the biggest concentration of unemployment," said
Mr Connolly.

"It is being contained in working class areas but it won’t remain there
forever," he warned.

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