Eurolink News

Conference looks at how EU can help solve Dublin drugs problem (31/10/08)

October 30, 2008 at 11:48 pm Leave a comment

Minister for Drugs John Curran, Lord Mayor of Dublin Eibhlin Byrne and Sunday World Crime Correspondent Paul Williams are among those who attended a major conference in Dublin today (Friday 31st October) outlining new EU strategies to combat illegal drugs. Representatives of some of the 130 groups that deal with the problems of drug abuse in Dublin were also present at the seminar, which was hosted by Dublin MEP Eoin Ryan.
The conference was titled ‘How the EU Action Plan for Drugs 2009-2012 can benefit the people of Dublin’, but it also focused on how member states are pooling their efforts in the fight against illegal drugs and drug-related crime. Fianna Fáil MEP Eoin Ryan said Ireland stands to learn from the experience of other EU countries. ‘The European Commission is in the best position to find out which are the most successful programmes and policies in Europe operating in the areas of drug prevention, addiction treatment, harm reduction, rehabilitation and curbing drug trafficking. Other countries can then implement similar initiatives in line with best practice,’ he said. There are currently one and a half million people using heroin throughout the EU. 12 million Europeans use cocaine, while over 20 million take amphetamines or ecstasy. ‘We live in an internal market of 27 EU member states,’ said Mr Ryan. ‘No one European country can defeat the international drug barons on their own.’
From next year, the EU is to increase the number of information campaigns it runs highlighting the dangers of illegal drug abuse. The programmes will be targeted particularly at vulnerable social groups, while a European Citizen’s Alliance on Drugs will give guidance on how to deal with drug-related issues in local communities.

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