Cannabis is widely used in schools in Kilkenny and students are dealing in many other drugs, a report on substance misuse in the county has found. The report, by the Kilkenny Drugs Initiative, says drugs are being dealt in the toilets, on the corridors and outside the front gates of schools. The KDI, a cross-community body which includes representatives of the Garda and the South Eastern Health Board, conducted a six-month study of substance misuse in Co Kilkenny. It found that the average age of solvent use is 12. Children aged 10 and over are taking alcohol, ecstasy use begins at 14, some 16-year-olds are using cocaine and people "of all ages" are using "speed". [continues 193 words]
More arrests are expected as gardai continue the operation which resulted in 54 alleged drug-dealers being brought before courts in Dublin yesterday. The 54 accused, who were all charged with possession of drugs with intent to supply, were arrested in co-ordinated raids throughout the city at 6.30 a.m. yesterday. The arrests were made under Operation Cleanstreets, set up earlier this year by Assistant Commissioner Mr Jim McHugh, and operated by the Garda national drugs unit. A "substantial" amount of heroin and IEP6,500 in cash were seized during the early morning raids, according to a Garda source. Smaller quantities of cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy were also seized. [continues 177 words]
Moves to make the use of banned drugs in sport a criminal offence are being considered by the Minister for Sport. Dr McDaid has been holding discussions with the Attorney General, Mr David Byrne, about bringing in criminal sanctions against drugs cheats. He is expected to tell delegates at a conference in Dublin today that he believes athletes alone are not to blame - he considers that the prevalence of drug use in sport indicates collusion among trainers, athletes and managers as well as athletes themselves. [continues 241 words]
Proposals to establish special courts to deal with drugs offenders will be considered by an expert group, meeting in Dublin this weekend. The meeting of Irish and American experts - convened by the chairwoman of the Courts Commission, Mrs Justice Susan Denham - will study the feasibility of "drugs courts" for people charged with non-violent drugs offences. Plans for the meeting were announced by the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, during his 11/2 -hour visit yesterday to Ballymun, in north Dublin, where he heard details of community, local authority and Garda co-operation in tackling the area's drugs problems. [continues 376 words]
