John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. We need to go a step further than we have gone. We have changed attitudes and behaviours in this country around many issues. If we look at the work that has been done around drink-driving and our road safety campaigns, this has affected outcomes. Some 20 years ago, more people would have died on our roads than would have had a drug-related death. This year, there will be more than 700 drug-related deaths. It is a huge number. We need to approach the whole area much more radically. Our programme of awareness and education needs to be run on a national basis. While the Minister of State has spoken clearly about running programmes for those who are in education, it is important that people who have left education are part of that programme. It is important that people who may buy cocaine or any other illicit drug in a nightclub tonight realise not just the harm they are potentially causing themselves, but that they are fuelling gangland crime. A national education and awareness campaign is a necessity and it needs to be in addition to all the work that is being done in the national drugs strategy and the work being carried out by the drugs task forces.

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