John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to discuss the growing problems of alcohol and drug misuse. I agree with virtually everything Senator Ellis has said, including his statement that sufficient legislation is in place to tackle the spiralling problem. However, insufficient resources are being provided to the Garda Síochána and other agencies trying to curb illegal drug abuse. For some time there has been a growing view that the Government should consider the possibility of banning drink advertising and sponsorship. Originally, I did not support that position but I think there is a strong case to be made for it now. A number of years ago we banned sponsorship and advertising by tobacco companies. Something similar needs to be put in place for the alcohol industry. I realise it would have knock-on effects for sporting bodies but we must break the association between drink and sport, which glamorises alcohol. Senator Ellis's point in that regard is correct. The first step might be to ban sponsorship of sporting events by drink companies.

Pubs are the focus of the community in many rural areas.

In recent years, many services have been abolished and the only outlet in many villages is the public house and even they have become more scarce in the past few years. Alternatives to the public house must be provided, particularly for young people. Most Oireachtas Members have been involved in voluntary organisations and we are all familiar with the reality in rural areas. The only venue in which a voluntary organisation can run an event is a public house. Recently, in a village near where I live, a presentation of medals to an under 14 team had to take place in the local bar because it was the only public building in which it could take place. Something as simple as that places the focus of the community too much on the public house and that is not good. We must think of ways to break that relationship.

I do not agree with those who contend the Government should fix the price of alcohol. There is no reason the ordinary decent drinker who does not engage in anti-social behaviour or abuse alcohol should pay for the minority who do. A move to increase prices artificially would be wrong and would not be the correct way to solve the problem. I have long been a proponent of a ban on the sale of alcopops. I have drunk the odd alcopop, which is very easy to drink. It is virtually like drinking lemonade. Generally I do not favour draconian measures such as banning particular products, but something needs to be done about alcopops. They are targeted at under age drinkers and the reality is that drinking half a dozen alcopops tastes the same as drinking half a dozen bottles of 7 Up but the effect is somewhat different.

Speakers have referred to the problems caused by the abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs. Suicide is a problem which has not been adequately addressed. Youth suicide is a particular issue and there is a direct relationship between substance abuse and suicide rates. If we are serous about tackling the suicide problem, measures must be put in place to tackle these abuses.

On the issue of illegal drugs, I had the dubious distinction of being present in Waterford Regional Hospital when the two young men who died from cocaine use were brought in. My father died that evening and I was leaving the hospital via the accident and emergency department, which was empty at the time. I was a little distracted and I recall passing through the waiting area, where I was presented by an horrific scene. Nobody in the waiting area had a physical problem but their friends had been transferred to the main hospital and it was a shocking scene with a great deal of screaming and roaring and upset. Their deaths brought to the forefront the increasing problem of the abuse of illegal substances. Senator Ellis is absolutely correct that illegal substances can be bought in virtually every village in the State. They are available at every crossroads and nobody should doubt that.

The issue is how to counteract this problem. Policing strategies alone will not solve it. We must try to influence people's behaviour. Security should be increased along our seaboard. A number of my relatives live in west Cork near the spot where the massive drugs find took place last year. They told me that 15 years ago they gave information to the authorities about strange movements in the area in the middle of the night. They lived on a cul-de-sac beside the sea and nine or ten cars would travel up and down the boreen at 2 a.m. Ireland has a lengthy coastline which presents a difficulty, but the State is falling down badly in providing a security presence. The Government needs to protect and secure our shores.

Senator Ormonde referred to the role of families. A garda or customs officer cannot be deployed on every street corner but the education system could be given an enhanced role in helping young people to make the correct decision to stay away from illegal substances. Not enough is being done in this regard. I agree with Senator Ellis that the increase in drugs abuse in recent years has become socially acceptable in middle and upper class Ireland. He is correct that many of those taking drugs are not on the bottom rung of the socio-economic ladder. It must first be identified where the problem lies before it can be resolved. The education system has an important role in this regard, while the security forces also have a role in protecting our coastline. However, the most important role must be taken on by families to ensure young people do not find themselves in a position where they take illegal substances. This is not an easy problem to solve and I wish the Minister of State and his colleagues all the best in their work.