New drugs threat needs urgent action - Costello

2 September 2015

by Cllr Joe Costello

Call for National Drugs Unit to have Special Task Force to target new drugs

The drug problem in Dublin is increasing. It is chameleon-like, constantly changing its form. Cannabis, heroin and cocaine are the hardy annuals. However, new chemical compounds in the form of tablets are becoming increasingly popular with a younger generation of drug users.

The latest such drug to become widespread is Zopiclone. It is supplanting Zimmovane and other substances in the North Inner City among drug users. It has been described by the Gardai recently as the scourge of the North Inner City and a bigger problem at present than either heroin or cocaine. There is a huge amount of money changing hands, leading to consequent street crime and violence.

Zopiclone is manufactured in England, but it is not a “controlled” drug under the Irish Misuse of Drugs legislation. The Gardai cannot get a search warrant or prosecute as the drug is not illegal. It will take time and resources to identify, test and criminalise the product. This scenario is occurring on a regular basis. One drug supplants another before the enforcement authorities or the legislators are in a position to take effective action.

There is urgent need for the National Drugs Unit to have a Special Task Force to target any new drug as soon as it appears on the street. It should be pharmaceutically tested to identify its chemical components, and proscribed as a controlled drug under the legislation as quickly as possible.

At the same time, the Garda’s Special Task Force should identify the manufacturing and supply source of the drug, and if it is an imported product, they should deal with the authorities in that jurisdiction as a matter of urgency.

It is only a matter of time that a lucrative product like Zopiclone is manufactured in Ireland and then it will be far more widely available and far more difficult to deal with. Urgent action is essential if we are to come to terms with the complex character of modern substance abuse.