FORMER Tanaiste Dick Spring has accused Sinn Fein of being associated with the drugs trade in the North and said their support for vigilantism in the Republic was hypocritical. "I find it very hard to take the Sinn Fein line on drugs. They're up to their necks in peddling drugs in other parts of the island and on the other hand they're pretending they're going to save the country from drugs," he said. "Beating guys up and breaking their legs isn't going to stop the drugs problem. You might deter one or two minor dealers from time to time. But at the end of the day that is not a solution - it's a matter for the gardai and the local community." [continues 302 words]
Traffic Directed by Steven Soderbergh The kind of publicity this movie has reaped puts it in the same league as French Connection 1 and 2, and the Harrison Ford movie, Clear And Present Danger: a major Hollywood moment dramatizing the economics, politics, and culture of the drug trade. In New York and other cities, theatres have been sold out. Traffic sets a higher standard than its predecessors, one that is not content to reduce the issues to foreign nasties vs. gutsy cops. [continues 1788 words]
It's getting so I'm afraid to answer the door. It could be Julian Fantino come to chat about police policies. He's everywhere! There hasn't been a gabby police chief like this since the unified force began in 1957. It's great, too. Fantino said in his first days more than some chiefs said in their careers. It does highlight, however, that safe city concerns have produced something close to a chief's cult, that the media and councillors have elevated his post to something approaching the new status of the mayor where Mel is perceived as greater than the 57 councillors combined. [continues 743 words]
Emmet Stagg wants the Government to consider decriminalising the use of cannabis. The former junior minister’s suggestion has drawn an embarrassed silence from the Labour Party who stressed this approach is not party policy. A party spokesman said all further questions should be directed to the Kildare TD. Mr Stagg said a recent youth survey showed 60% of people under the age of 24 use cannabis as their drug of choice. He said there is a higher level of cannabis use than of alcohol use among this age group. [continues 310 words]
