Larry Butler (Fianna Fail)

I concur with previous speakers in terms of the major problem caused by these head shops. In 2009 alone, €104 million was spent on addiction treatment. The people who use the products sold in these head shops will eventually progress to harder drugs, which will cost the Health Service Executive a great deal more money because they will become addicted. There is no question about that. As somebody who served on the health board for almost eight years and visited addiction centres throughout the country, I saw the problems that arise with addiction at that level. Those particular substances are banned but the problem with these head shops is that young people - my grandchildren, for the sake of argument - believe that if these shops are selling these products they must not be harmful. That is the terrible position we are now in and we need to take immediate action. There is unanimity on the need to do something as responsible parents and adults, particularly in this House where legislation is important. It is our job to ensure we introduce the necessary legislation to ban these substances.

We can look at the figures in other countries in Europe but there are an estimated 14,500 opiate users in this country. That was the figure in 2009 and I am sure it has increased. These people are ruthless and are only in the business to make money. They do not consider the devastation this causes for young people who do not have the sense to realise these substances may damage their health. Many of them will graduate to using harder drugs. Spice has already been banned in Austria, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Estonia, Sweden and Hungary and will soon be banned in the United Kingdom.

The Minister will agree good addiction programmes are in place in the health service. I was involved with the health boards in setting up many methadone centres which have worked extremely well. However, methadone is a very addictive substance and we have not yet found a way of taking people off it.

All drugs sold by chemists are tested but none of the products in head shops is. Will the Minister introduce a scheme under which any product sold over the counter that could affect people's health would have to be tested? Health and safety are to the fore in the workplace; one cannot walk onto a building site without wearing a hard hat and boots. The same must apply in this case.

"Prime Time" and the Joe Duffy show broadcast good items on the dangers of the substances sold in head shops and how they were affecting young people. It is an urgent matter which I appeal to the Minister for Health and Children to address through legislation. The Seanad has sat late to discuss banking legislation. If we have to work late into the night to pass legislation dealing with head shops, so be it.

We do not have exact figures for how many young people have suffered from using substances sold in head shops. These young people will feed into long-term addiction programmes and could easily double the amount needed by the HSE to maintain the programmes to €200 million a year, a colossal sum. New legislation will have to be introduced to deal with these shops involving the planning sections of local authorities. Will the Minister introduce such legislation as quickly as possible? While I accept it is not an easy area in which to legislate for, I believe the Seanad has the expertise and the will to ensure it can be done.