Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

Does the Minister of State agree the strategy needs to be much more proactive in addressing the increasing cocaine problem? Between 1995 and 2004 cocaine worth €537 million was seized. Based on international norms, ten times that amount probably reached the streets. The average weekly use of cocaine in Ireland is 3 grams and chronic addicts use between 5 and 10 grams. The price of cocaine has reduced significantly and it costs between €30 and €40 per 0.5 gram, which means that average users spend between €180 and €240 per week and chronic users spend between €300 and €600 per week.

Cocaine use among males increased from 1.8% in 2001 to 3% in 2003, which is a worrying statistic, while 5.1% of those in the 18 to 24 year group use cocaine. Cocaine use peaked in the US in the 1990s at 25 million users and 2 million addicts while it is peaking in the UK now. There are grave concerns in the UK that the number of strokes and heart attacks among young people as a result of severe addictions will increase. All the indications are that Ireland is experiencing an increasing problem on a horrendous scale and I remain to be convinced that the national drugs strategy is proactive enough to deal with this major problem, which is potentially worse than the heroin problem.

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