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Ireland's Minister of State for the National Drugs Strategy yesterday revealed plans to decriminalise the personal use of coc aine, cannabis and heroin "early next year".
Speaking to The Irish Times before he announced the plans at the London School of Economics, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said the opinions on drug misuse and addiction could only change if those found in possession were not criminalised. "Too often those with drug problems suffer from stigma, due to a lack of understanding or public education about the nature of addiction. This stigma can be compounded for those who end up with a criminal record due to possession of drugs for their own use."
Supervised heroin-injecting centres in Dublin, hoped to be followed in Cork, Galway and Limerick, are also among the plans, with a new Misuse of Drugs Bill being compiled to allow this to happen.
Ríordáin believes providing "clinically controlled environments" for heroin users would pave the way for a different view on substance abuse.
He said: "I am firmly of the view there needs to be a cultural shift in how we regard substance misuse if we are to break this cycle and make a serious attempt to tackle drug and alcohol addiction.
"Research has shown that the use of supervised injecting centres is associated with self-reported reductions in injecting risk behaviours."
This doesn't mean that selling drugs would become legal, though, just that users taking illicit substances would receive "treatment and rehabilitation based on a continuum of care with clearly defined referral pathways."
Discussing plans to open ‘injection rooms’ Mr Ó Ríordáin said they would be “clinically controlled environments” that would aim to prevent already vulnerable individuals from exposing themselves to further risks.
originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: Lady_Tuatha
GOOD! Stuff shouldn't be illegal. Jailing people for using drugs should be viewed as a cruel and unusual punishment.
originally posted by: woogleuk
a reply to: Lady_Tuatha
Cannabis, fair enough.....heroin and coc aine though? Heroin dealers should be given life, that would solve the issue right there.
It destroys lives, I have seen the state some people can get in through its use.
originally posted by: slapjacks
a reply to: Lady_Tuatha
Clever form of population control. Legalize heroin and or coc aine and I'd be willing to bet the overdose death toll rises.
originally posted by: slapjacks
a reply to: Lady_Tuatha
Clever form of population control. Legalize heroin and or coc aine and I'd be willing to bet the overdose death toll rises.
originally posted by: woogleuk
a reply to: Lady_Tuatha
Cannabis, fair enough.....heroin and coc aine though? Heroin dealers should be given life, that would solve the issue right there.
It destroys lives, I have seen the state some people can get in through its use.
I agree the user shouldn't be punished, but they should be helped off it.
As for coc aine....I would have said fair enough until I watched a documentary about long term use, one guys nose collapsed into his mouth and he now has a big hole on the roof of his mouth....nasty.
I'm not a drug user myself, I don't even smoke pot, I do like a good drink though, so I have my evils.