Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 76: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the steps he has taken to monitor and highlight the increase in use of crystal meths, crack cocaine and the re-emergence of a more potent heroin, Chinese Snow; and the steps he has taken to inform support services and medical practitioners as to the symptoms and complications associated with abuse of said drugs on their own or with other drugs. [8838/09]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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The Early Warning Emerging Trends Committee of the National Advisory Committee on Drugs meets regularly to monitor emerging trends in problem drug use and they signal issues and concerns as they arise. The Alcohol and Drug Research Unit of the Health Research Board (HRB), who are represented on that Committee, also provides up-dates on any developments on international drugs markets that may be of relevance in Ireland. I am also aware that the HSE have an early warning system in place to alert treatment services to any significant changes, emerging concerns or significant incidents.

Arising from concerns raised in regard to crack cocaine in Dublin's North Inner city, the HRB undertook research in the matter and I launched their report 'Crack Cocaine in the Dublin Region — an evidence base for a crack cocaine strategy' last October. This was followed up with a seminar last month ('Building a response to Crack Cocaine') that was attended by policy makers and service providers across the sectors. The report showed that the number of people using crack cocaine in Ireland remains low, with current users representing 1% of treated problem drug users. However, we want to avoid a situation where the numbers increase to more serious levels and we are working towards having a sustainable response in place should this happen. The findings of the report also indicated that the growth of crack cocaine use was mainly among problem drug users so any response will have to take account of the poly-substance nature of the misuse involved.

Given that many drug users are involved in poly-drug use, the approach now is to have treatment services in place to deal with the individual, regardless of the drug, or combination of drugs, they use.

In November 2007 the Gardaí hosted an international conference on crystal meth that focussed on establishing a threat assessment in view of the increase in availability of methamphetamine within the European Union. The conference also highlighted international responses, including treatment, to the threat from crystal meth. Crystal meth, which has not manifested itself to a significant degree in Ireland, is most likely to be used by problem drug users and, as with crack cocaine, the treatment response required will need to address the poly-substance nature of the drug users' habits.

As with other stimulant drugs, counselling is the main form of effective treatment and the HSE has been working over the past two years on the development and implementation of a National Addiction Training Programme that will provide appropriate training for people to deal with all substances.

While I am aware of china white and china red as terms for forms of heroin, and of snowballing and snow as cocktails of drugs, I have not previously heard the term "Chinese Snow". In any case, as with crack cocaine and crystal meth, the response required to any variations in the heroin that may become available in Ireland will, as outlined above, most likely relate to the poly-substance nature of such misuse and the need for treatment facilities to be able to respond and deal with all drugs that an individual user presents with.