Dr. Cian Ó Concubhair:

I am happy to respond. I understand what the Senator is getting at, that is, the origins of the stigmatisation of drug use. It is an interesting question. States - and not just this State, but lots of them - respond very differently, depending on what substance a person is addicted to.

I do not just mean drugs versus alcohol. The response to addiction to prescribed drugs, for example, tends to be quite different from the State's perspective. The misuse of drugs that are legal may still involve criminal offences but we do not see that policed in the same way. It also depends on what community the person is drawn from. The history of drug prohibition is really rooted in victimising certain communities in the US, and very much targeting the black American population, the Mexican-American population and the Chinese-American population. There were key drivers to selecting which substances were going to end up with a criminal justice response.

With regard to addiction and State responses, I have a degree of sympathy. The Oireachtas and other politicians have a limited number of levers they feel they can pull. When politicians see a problem, I can understand that a lot of them feel they need to ban something, and that this would be the response. It is not just in relation to drug use. It is often in relation to other substances. It is not a surprising response even if it is not evidence led. I hope that answers the Senator's question.