USI leader urges new approach to drug warnings

THE Government has been urged to change the way it warns young people about the dangers of drugs, following the death of a 17…

THE Government has been urged to change the way it warns young people about the dangers of drugs, following the death of a 17 year old in Dublin on Sunday night.

Eugene Murray of Donnycarney, north Dublin, died at the Mater Hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest. He is believed to have taken a number of ecstasy tablets while out with friends on Saturday night, and later to have taken Valium in an attempt to "come down".

Gardai are investigating reports that Mr Murray took the ecstasy at a dance nightclub in the north, inner city which they have previously raided. One detective said the venue had yielded only small amounts of drugs abandoned by customers, but activity around it was monitored regularly.

In the past three years up to 20 people have died in Dublin from taking ecstasy.

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At the announcement in Dublin of a drug information campaign yesterday, the president of the Union of Students in Ireland, Mr Colman Byrne, said the Government's drug information campaign was not working.

"The existing programmes which simply aim to dissuade young people from using any form of illegal drugs are completely ineffective, especially when geared towards young adults," he said.

Mr Byrne said the just say no" approach would not work and a "harm reduction" campaign was needed.

US I's new campaign including posters and booklets which will be handed out to 150,000 students on campuses stresses the long term effects of the drugs most commonly used by students. Mr Byrne said it aimed neither to encourage nor discourage drug use, but simply to make sure information about the dangers of drugs was available to students.