Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State. It is nice to see, for a change, that we are all of one mind here with regard to the dangers implicit in the products sold in head shops around the country. The Minister of State is familiar with the history of this issue. From autumn 2008 to March 2009, along with Senator Wilson and others, I ran a long campaign in the Seanad to get BZP banned. It was not easy. I heard more co-operation in the speech from the Minister, Deputy Harney, with regard to the aim to bring in very strict regulation. I welcome that.

What can I add to the debate which has not already been said? I want to discuss the users of drugs and give some quotes from them. All of my research on this issue is from the treatment services, including the psychiatric unit in Galway and the GPs who are dealing with the users. I want to discuss the effects of drugs and the complications when they are taken with alcohol, something which has not entered the debate so far today - if it has I apologise for not hearing it. I also want to discuss the fact that mixing some of these synthetic legal highs with alcohol is a lethal combination and examine some solutions.

At the end of 2008 two Galway youths had to undergo psychiatric treatment for three and four weeks, respectively, after using herbal ecstasy, or BZP, as it was at the time. It took that period of time to have them unscrambled in the psychiatric unit in Galway. I spoke to a member of the treatment services there today who recently dealt with a 21 year old man who had a psychotic episode and who has left the psychiatric unit after spending three weeks there. The main age group for users seems to be 14 to 25 years of age. However, when I was campaigning on this issue in late 2008 and early 2009, I received a lot of communication from women and men around the country who had used substances sold in head shops. On one occasion a 39 year old female business manager contacted me to say she went out for the night, took a head shop product in conjunction with alcohol and was found lying flat on the street at 6 a.m. by gardaí, luckily for her. It was 11 a.m. the next morning before she came to in the Garda station.

There are ingredients in these products which need to be checked. They are dangerous. Since BZP was banned it has simply reinvented itself. Before I leave the voice of the user, I wish to quote another young man who is 18 years of age. He said one could stay awake for three days while taking a certain drug and one's mind would be racing. One would not be happy but depressed in a strange way. He said the effect was hard to describe but it was hell on earth. Another young man said he waited for the shop to open every morning and would be at the door of a head shop in Galway at 10 a.m. He lost three stone using pills and woke up in Cork one day with no recollection of how he got there. Senator Buttimer is from Cork but he was not heading down to meet him. When users condemn the products it is a major concern and they are worth listening to.

As others have said, BZP has now simply been repackaged and changed. The substance is the same. BZP and similar drugs are being reinvented constantly and this will continue. The health service is always playing catch-up with head shops. People are greatly affected by this. The latest statistics from Galway reveal that every week three to four people show up requiring treatment. The case seems to be that ten people might use a substance without having any reaction while one person may have a severe reaction. It depends on whatever other symptoms are present that would predispose such people to having a severe reaction.

Young people are in danger and the situation is escalating rapidly. I asked some people who work with affected young persons whether head shops should be banned or regulated. I was talking to very reasonable people who know how complicated it is to ban something. It would not be my normal practice to say head shops should be banned. However, these people work with lives that have been disturbed. People are becoming violent at home as a result of this practice. The answer I got was to shut them down completely. The shops reinvent themselves all the time. They were given a chance and given warnings but have not taken the opportunity to be responsible. They do not seem to be interested in reforming their services but are more interested in finding new ways to cheat the system. The packaging techniques used by many head shops are designed deliberately to attract young people, with strong colour schemes, etc. The drugs scene is seen to be enticing and exciting, the ultimate act of escapism for many young people.

I spoke of the complications caused by products when they are taken with alcohol. This is worth listening to and is also a condemnation of what goes on in some of our night clubs. At present, four double vodkas and Red Bull are being offered for €20 in night clubs. If that is added to the gear from the head shops, one can see why these people end up in the psychiatric unit. The point made to me by people working in the treatment services is that this situation, whereby four double vodkas and Red Bull can be offered in this manner, also needs to be regulated. This should be considered before St. Patrick's Day because our national day is no longer a festival of celebrating our Irishness but has become a drinking festival. It was pointed out to me that we should consider not allowing off-licences to open before 5 p.m. because people get drunk much too early in the day. Again, the word among young people is that they are stocking up already for the day. Circumstances in which alcohol and head shop products are used in combination need to be examined.

Many good solutions were put forward today. Planning regulations must be looked at but how can we make them strict enough to induce the owner of a head shop to reveal the product that is to be used? It would be difficult to manage that but, in part, planning regulations might work if used in tandem with products liability insurance and public liability insurance. If a head shop owner is found to be selling a product that is dangerous and which has the power to induce psychotic effects in young people, he or she might then undergo criminal charges. A broad and multi-pronged approach must be taken to achieving a resolution in this area.

In line with what Senator Leyden said, I heard only today about an individual who believed he was leasing his property to a health shop rather than a head shop. Obviously, the words are very similar but now he is being threatened with legal action if he does not go ahead with the lease. Clearly, there is a great deal of money involved in this business and that must be investigated.

Other solutions involve awareness and education. There is a substance misuse programme at both primary and secondary levels in our schools under the banner of social, personal and health education, SPHE. However, as I stated before in the House, there must be a requirement regarding drugs education. An SPHE teacher can discuss relationships, sexuality, hygiene and environmental awareness. There needs to be a mandatory component of drugs education. Some schools have a great programme at second level, called "Stand on your own two feet", which could fit the bill. Awareness education and the participation of young people need to be discussed in classes in a responsible environment. It would be worthwhile also to explore having positive role models for young people, perhaps sports stars or others, who could talk about the dangers of using all drugs, both licit and illicit, and how these affect one's performance. Ultimately, one is talking about a mind-altering experience.

The Minister of State has made a commitment to examine the situation, having heard what the Minister, Deputy Harney, said. He should expedite this as quickly as possible but I also plead with him to explore the lethal cocktail of drugs and alcohol when mixed together.