Irish Examiner drug supplement

[Lunar Loops]

For any Irish members out there, there is apparently to be a 20 page supplement in tomorrow's edition (Tuesday November 20th) dealing with the subject of drugs in Ireland.

May well be worth a look, although I suspect that as with most of these 'specials' it will be a major disappointment.

Can't find any more information on it at the moment as the Irish Examiner site appears to be wown.

[Mint boi]

Heard about this on the radio. Sounds like a a shock tactic to sell more papers. The guy from the paper was just blabbing on about increased drug use in rural areas and so on so forth. Seems to be mainly targeting cocaine and heroin. Could be worth the read anyway.

[Lunar Loops]

Did anyone else get this? Have a copy, but have not had time to scrutinise it yet. Does not look at all promising from the headlines on the front though....the usual 'evil scourge sweeping our nation' type of thing.

[Mint boi]

I have a copy, but haven't read it yet. Its gonna take alot of self control to get through it all, judging from the quick look through it I took, and maybe some kind of "reward" for after!

[D.U.M.B]

shit! SWIM found out to late about this. Someone read it and fill SWIM in with the info. SWIM assumes its all negative though

[Lunar Loops]

Should get a chance to wade (and that really is the word to use) my way through it this weekend. After that I will try and report back....anyone with any common sense on the subject who can read through this without raising their blood pressure and potentially blowing a gasket deserves great praise (I shall be purchasing a gasket repair kit tomorrow).

[Lunar Loops]

If only this would bring anything positive to the table. Alas, the same tired old cliches will be wheeled out ad nauseam.

Anyway, this from The Irish Examiner (blowing their own predictable trumpet):

Ahern moves to grant Dáil debate after drugs exposé

By Shaun Connolly, Political Correspondent

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern last night moved to grant opposition demands for a full-scale Dáil debate on the Irish Examiner’s searing investigation of the Republic’s burgeoning drug culture.

Fine Gael and Labour insisted Oireachtas time must be devoted to discuss issues raised by the ground-breaking supplement, which provoked strong exchanges in the Dáil.

Labour justice spokesman Pat Rabbitte praised the “comprehensive investigation” undertaken by the Irish Examiner and urged Mr Ahern to act on it.

“It is an insightful and thoughtful analysis of the drugs problem in Ireland,” he told deputies as he called for an extensive probe into the scale of the situation laid bare by the newspaper, as the probe dominated the order of business in the Dáil.

Fine Gael justice spokesman Charles Flanagan waved a copy of the Irish Examiner in the chamber as he called for TDs to engage in a wide-ranging discussion of its contents.

“In view of the report on drugs use in the Irish Examiner, will time be set aside to discuss new initiatives on the part of government, given that the tired old initiatives of the past number of years are clearly failing?”

FG communications spokesman Simon Coveney insisted the situation highlighted by the exposé could not be ignored by the Dáil. He called for the Examiner special edition, which is to be made available to schools across the country, to be the basis for the Dáil’s annual discussion of drug issues.

“In light of the Irish Examiner’s hard-hitting special investigation on drug use in Ireland, when the national drugs strategy was launched in the Taoiseach’s department it was accompanied by a promise by the Government that a review of the strategy would take place on an annual basis, which would be debated in the Dáil. When will this year’s debate take place, given that it is needed?”

Mr Ahern said he was sure party whips would be able to agree a time for TDs to debate the issues raised by the Irish Examiner.

However, though pressed to do so by Mr Coveney, he said he would not comment on claims in a book that a minister is a self-confessed cocaine user. The move came as publishers of the book, which was turned into an RTÉ documentary, Gill & Macmillan said The High Society author Justine Delaney Wilson had a serious credibility issue following her claim she had taped the alleged conversation in which the unnamed minister made the claim.

“On the credibility issue the author has placed herself in a completely unsatisfactory position,” the publishers said.

The author, who was unavailable for comment, insists she subsequently destroyed the tape of the minister’s alleged confession.

[Joe Duffy]

The Irish Examiner should have called their drugs supplement “A NOT SO SPECIAL INVESTIGATION”.

[Nature Boy]

And what exactly are they going to debate in the Dáil? Drugs are bad, they're already illegal so...er...eh...any suggestions? If any serious harm reduction or move for decriminalisation was suggested with real action I'd be very surprised. Realistically it's just gonna be a bunch of middle-aged stout-drinkers tutting about how nasty cocaine is for a couple of hours. Yawn!