Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

I thank the Minister of State for his reply but one sentence in it gave me cause for concern. That was a reference to a study of one drug to the exclusion of others. On the last occasion we debated these matters, I tabled a Priority Question on crack cocaine. We went through the various issues pertaining to the use of crack cocaine, which make it a much more dangerous drug than any of the others we have dealt with heretofore. For instance, 80% of crack cocaine users become addicted within a fortnight of first smoking it. That is serious and represents a rapid growth in its use. In dealing with this particular drug we need a focused, hands-on approach, including monitoring and surveillance. No specific study has been carried out on the use of crack cocaine in the State.

The Minister of State also mentioned the new drug prevalence study which is to start this autumn and will continue until mid-2007. Is that sufficient, however, given that this drug has the potential to cause a serious escalation of drug-related illnesses and chaotic lifestyles? It also has the potential to cause an increase in all crime committed by cocaine addicts seeking to obtain funds for their next fix. As a crack cocaine trip lasts 40 to 50 seconds, it is well known that such addicts need to get frequent fixes. The Minister of State knows exactly what I am talking about. More focused monitoring is required to cope with the increasing use of crack cocaine which can be extremely damaging to society. As these developments can occur rapidly, a close eye needs to be kept on them.

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