The alcohol and pharmaceutical industries should use some of their profits to fund addiction services, a leading drug charity has said.
Coolmine Therapeutic Community made the call after a sharp increase in alcohol, cocaine and benzodiazepine abuse among its clients.
The agency, celebrating its 40th birthday this year, is launching a community-based alcohol programme later in the year to reach out to the growing numbers abusing the drug.
Coolmine said the alcohol and benzodiazepine problem was particularly strong in Dublin, but pointed out that over half of their clients are from outside Dublin, where the main problem drug is opiates, particularly heroin.
Publishing their annual report yesterday, Pauline McKeown, Coolmine chief executive, said the rise in alcohol and benzodiazepine use was a major concern. “There has been a dramatic rise in addiction to this cocktail. We believe this is due to the ease of access to alcohol and benzodiazepine. Also it is not an offence to have these two drugs in your possession.”
Benzodiazepines are available on prescription and are also illicitly traded in massive quantities on the street.
Ms McKeown called on the pharmaceutical and alcohol industries to “become stakeholders” with the health services, medical profession and therapeutic communities to support and fund services fighting addiction.
Source: Cormac O’Keeffe, Irish Examiner, 15/10/2013
Safer Student Nights
eBulletin
Poll
