Cocaine problem to be tackled

The mid-term review of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-08 will recommend the immediate tackling of Ireland's growing cocaine problem. This follows a marked increase in the use of the drug in recent years.

The most recent data published by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs last year revealed the extent to which the drug was gaining in popularity. In 1998, just 0.6 per cent of women used cocaine, compared with 1.9 per cent in 2002. The figures for men were 1.8 per cent in 1998 and 3 per cent in 2002.

The review of the drugs strategy, currently being finalised by a steering group of experts, will also advise the Government that the treatment approach to drug addiction needs to be radically overhauled.

The steering group will call for a significant increase in the number of detoxification beds available in hospitals for those who want to break their addiction. Currently there are 20 such beds available for the State's 14,500 heroin addicts, about 7,300 of whom are on methadone maintenance.

One source close to the mid-term review group told The Irish Times that a fourfold increase in detoxification beds would be needed to bring Ireland into line with international practice.

The review group will also urge the Government to refocus its efforts on the treatment of heroin addicts. It will advise that, while making methadone maintenance available to addicts has been a success, there is now a need to develop a range of strategies which would enable addicts on the heroin replacement drug to develop the skills needed to lead drug-free lives.

To this end it will recommend much greater investment in community and residential rehabilitation. This includes the provision of a range of one-on-one and group counselling, and providing the training needed to develop skills to allow reformed addicts to return to the workplace.

The emphasis on treating addicts has been to help remove the chaos in their lives by stabilising them on methadone. Few "second-step" mechanisms have been developed.

When the review group's recommendations are published in the coming weeks, Minister of State with responsibility for the drugs strategy, Noel Ahern, is expected to form a group to determine how the recommendations on rehabilitation will be best met and what funding is required.

Rehabilitation is expected to become a new "pillar" of the drugs strategy. Currently there are four pillars: supply reduction, prevention, treatment and research. The review group has also identified a number of key areas where the drugs strategy has failed.

Chief among these is the provision of needle exchanges at pharmacies and the extension of drug treatment clinic opening hours to allow addicts access to services outside the traditional nine-to-five working day.

Meanwhile, Mr Ahern yesterday introduced a progress report by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs on the drugs strategy.

He said there had been encouraging signs of progress since the drugs strategy began in 2001. Gardaí and Customs and Excise officers had recorded an increase in the value of illicit drugs seized.

The number of addicts now on methadone, at 7,300, was much higher than the 6,500 target at the outset of the drugs strategy. Substance misuse awareness programmes were on all school curricula.

However, Mr Ahern acknowledged there were still gaps that remained to be filled over the remaining period of the strategy.