Traveller drug abuse report warns on exclusion, racism

Social exclusion and racism against Travellers is exacerbating drug abuse in the community, a major new report on the issue warns.

The report, An Overview of the Nature and Extent of Illicit Drug Use Amongst the Traveller Community, was published yesterday by the Minister of State with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy, Noel Ahern.

Commissioned by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD), it says that although Travellers are identified as one of the four groups most at risk of drug misuse, "there is inadequate consideration by drug policy and drug services of Travellers' drug-related needs".

The other three at-risk groups identified are the homeless, prostitutes and early school leavers.

The author of the report, Prof Jane Fountain of the Centre for Ethnicity and Health at the University of Central Lancashire, said the barriers experienced by Travellers here accessing health services in general were the same facing black and minority ethnic groups in Britain.

These included "the lack of awareness of the existence and nature of drug services; the lack of formal education; stigma and embarrassment; lack of cultural competence by services and racism, discrimination and stereotyping".

There seemed to be little effort made by many service providers to give consideration to issues for Travellers such as nomadism, possible low literacy skills and the huge importance of family contact if they are in residential treatment.

At the publication yesterday was Rosaleen McDonagh, member of the Traveller Health Advisory Committee.

A Traveller herself, she said for many years Travellers had been fearful of speaking of such "internal issues" as domestic violence, alcoholism and drug misuse. They had been "fearful these would become sticks to beat us, with racism and discrimination".

The fact that Travellers were now looking critically at the issue was "a step in our maturity and confidence".

Des Corrigan, chairman of the NACD, said the recommendations in the report would be implemented.

Drug misuse is thought to be less prevalent among Travellers than in the general population, though it is occurring. There is no statistical data on drug misuse among Travellers, because the national drug treatment reporting system does not record ethnicity.

As in the general population the illicit drugs most commonly used among Travellers were found to be cannabis, cocaine, LSD and some heroin.