Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

Ba mhaith liom na Teachtaí Dála Neamhspleácha a mholadh as ucht an rún caoithiúil seo a chur ós comhair na Dála agus an seans a thabhairt dúinn géirchéim na ndrugaí a phlé. I commend the Independent Deputies on bringing this very timely motion before the House. It affords us the opportunity to debate this major crisis, which is causing very serious nationwide disruption and concern. The Labour Party will support the motion during the vote this evening.

The motion states the Dáil notes "the health implications for drug users and other vulnerable young people and the collateral damage caused to families and communities". Collateral damage caused to families and communities relates to road safety, among other issues. This requires urgent attention but is largely overlooked. I recently asked the Minister for Transport in parliamentary questions for his proposals to introduce a breathalyser system to test drivers for illegal drugs and also for the evidence he has regarding the extent of impairment of drivers arising from the presence of illegal drugs in their systems. He informed me that the Road Traffic Acts provide that a member of the Garda Síochána may, where he or she believes a person in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place is under the influence of a drug or drugs to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of that vehicle, require that person to go to a Garda station and further require him or her to submit a blood or urine sample which would then be subject to analysis by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety.

The Minister also replied that, of 569 specimens tested in 2004 for the presence of a drug or drugs, 354 tested positive and 215 were found to be negative for the presence of a drug or drugs. These tests were carried out by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, which continues to analyse blood and urine specimens for the presence of a drug or drugs. Unfortunately the Minister informed me there is no feasible basis for the introduction of a scheme of preliminary roadside testing for drugs at present. He did point out, however, that screening devices based on oral fluid specimens are being developed for the purpose of carrying out roadside drug testing. He also outlined that the Medical Bureau of Road Safety is keeping abreast of developments in this area but that these testing devices are in the prototype stage.

In a study carried out by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, it was indicated that 15.5% of tested drivers were positive for one or more drugs, that of the drivers who were under the limit for alcohol, 33.1% were positive for one or more drugs, and that of the drivers with very low or zero levels of alcohol, 67.9% were positive for drugs. This is an astonishing result.

The Minister of State should note that there is an urgent need to address this area properly. If, for example, a garda finds a person smoking cannabis or taking some other illegal drug in a mechanically propelled vehicle, the garda can charge that person with a crime. If that charge is upheld by the courts, a further conviction can follow, that is, of committing a crime while in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle.

A second conviction can lead to a driving ban. However, if a garda stops a person who has drugs in his or her system, that garda must effectively rely on the legislation which predates the introduction of the breathalyser to test for drunk driving. There is a need to introduce limits for illegal drugs and for poly-drug intake to make our roads safer. Doing so would also identify those who are using illegal drugs. It is not good enough that if a garda apprehends a person on suspicion of being in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place and of being under the influence of a drug or drugs to such an extent as being incapable of having proper control of that vehicle, he or she must proceed on the basis of his or her visual assessment of the situation. The garda can require the person to go to a Garda station and further require him or her to submit to a blood test or provide a urine sample, which would then be analysed.

The statistics I have quoted are based on a two-year research programme on drug analysis of blood and urine samples in 2001 and 2002, and also on testing in 2004. There is abundant evidence that circumstances pertaining to the use of illegal drugs have gotten a great deal worse since then. Impairment must be proven when somebody is apprehended while in charge of a mechanical vehicle in a public place and in this regard tests involving legal limits are obviously required. Appropriate legal measures need to be introduced urgently to deal with this appalling threat to public safety.

In early July, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs published a report entitled "What everyone should know about Cannabis". Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in western societies. In the past, its use was regarded as less serious than the use of other drugs and, in some quarters, was regarded as harmless. However, the findings of the committee suggest this is far from the reality. Over one third of Irish schoolchildren have tried cannabis by the age of 16 and 9% of Irish 16 year olds use cannabis at least three times per month, with as many girls as boys now using it. About one in ten is dependent on it, which amounts to 28,000 current users of cannabis. Surveys indicate that the majority of Irish people do not want cannabis legalised and a substantial minority of past and current cannabis users do not wish to see it legalised either.

There is now compelling evidence that cannabis abuse can result in the development of psychotic illness in later life. Prolonged exposure to cannabis can induce changes to neurotransmitter pathways in vulnerable people, which can result in serious illness, such as schizophrenia in some and cognitive impairment in others.

In recent years it has become clear that the human brain continues to develop during adolescence and it appears that cannabis use during this developmental phase, when brain architecture relating to some higher functions is being fine-tuned, is most likely to result in long-term impairment. It is reliably estimated that there are some 300,000 users of cannabis in the State and in view of the consequences for their mental and physical health, the joint committee recommends that a national strategy be drawn up with the aim of reversing the exponential rise in cannabis use over the past decade. Particular emphasis must be paid to young women of childbearing age and to their children, as well as to young people in general given their vulnerability to mental health problems.

There needs to be further neurobiological and clinical research to examine the long-term cognitive impairment effects associated with heavy cannabis use, particularly those impairments relating to heavy use in adolescence and to prenatal exposure. The physical effects of cannabis use and the health risks are greater than those for conventional tobacco because cannabis smoke contains more carcinogens and has a higher tar content. The cannabis trade in Ireland is worth an estimated €375 million and is the largest component of the vile drugs trade. The committee was united in expressing the view that greater resources be devoted to criminal investigation and that there should be more proactive pursuit of those who gain from it financially, as is the case with class A drugs.

Awareness of the risk of cannabis use needs to be raised through public information campaigns focused particularly on young people and their parents and we need to understand that cannabis is primarily a health issue. Cannabis is as socially unacceptable as cocaine or heroin and the drug barons who profit from it should be pursued with the full rigour of the law. The so-called leisure use of cocaine is a new departure which must give rise to the gravest concern. Too many of those cocaine users do not appear to connect its purchase with very violent criminals who are the major beneficiaries of this wicked trade. It is incumbent on all of us, in particular the Government, to use every possible means to get this message across.

There is crack cocaine in north inner city Dublin. At least 80% of crack cocaine users develop an addiction, usually within a fortnight of their first smoke, while 7% of cocaine users become addicts in approximately 18 months. The high risk associated with cocaine is unparalleled. I understand the affects of crack cocaine can last for 40 to 50 seconds and never exceeds a few minutes. The high from cocaine lasts for half an hour and that from heroin for three to four hours. Crack cocaine is a particularly lethal and awful drug. There is plenty of cocaine in the country and the establishment of so-called cocaine factories is not particularly difficult. It is imperative that the spread of crack cocaine is prevented and eliminated, where it is already available.

The Government needs to demonstrate a much greater sense of purpose and effectiveness to come to terms with the drugs crisis, which is a problem in every town and village.

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