Drug/Alcohol Policy

International Drug/Alcohol Policy

International Drug/Alcohol Policy

Irish Policy

In late 2007, the then Minister of State with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy, Pat Carey, T.D. established a Steering Group to develop proposals and make recommendations for a new National Drugs Strategy covering the period 2009-2016. The Group was chaired by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and was made up of representatives of the key Departments and agencies involved in delivering the current NDS, as well as representatives from the community & voluntary sectors. The recent study indicated that lifetime use for cannabis had stabilized (slight decrease from 20% to 19%) and that lifetime use for other illegal drugs, other than cannabis, had reduced (from 10% to 7%). Current use of cannabis had also decreased (halved from 17% to 9%), while use of other illegal drugs had stabilized. Since 2003, lifetime abstinence from all substances has virtually doubled from 6% to 11% in 2007 (Claire, Hout, 2007, 42-49).

Interventions to address these issues are key elements of supply reduction, one of the five pillars of the current NDS. This section provides an overview of the pillar and assesses progress both in achieving the NDS actions, and the impact of those actions by reviewing performance against the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). It also outlines the key findings from the consultation process, which has helped to inform the priorities for the new NDS.

Over the lifetime of the Strategy, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has introduced a number of pieces of legislation that contain elements related to drug trafficking. Much progress has been made in increasing the level of An Garda Síochána resources in LDTF areas over the lifetime of the current Strategy and, in particular, since the MTR in 2005. Key areas of progress have included: An increase of 18%11 in general resources (2001 - 2007); an increase of 36% in Community Policing resources (2001 - 2007); and An increase of 35% in Drugs Units resources (2001 - 2007). An increase in the personnel numbers in the Garda National Drugs Unit; The establishment of a number of additional Drugs Units in both Local and Regional Drugs Task Force areas; The establishment of the Organized Crime Unit on a permanent basis to tackle organized crime including drug trafficking; An increase in the resources of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), particularly through the recruitment of asset profilers; and A series of ongoing special operations.

The Steering Group also recognizes that progress has been made in a number of other areas: a co - coordinating framework has been established to manage drugs policy in each Garda District, with Policing Plans now being produced in each District. Furthermore, drugs are now a priority in all Policing Plans, both local and national; there has been a 56% increase in the strength (resources) of Drugs Units, across National, Divisional and District Drugs Units. Furthermore, processes are in place that supports daily contact between the National and Local Drugs Units; and the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) has focused ...