A major Government-backed conference on combating the threat posed to society from cocaine use opened today in Croke Park Dublin.
Major conference on the societal threat of cocaine takes place at Croke Park today. Image: Irish Times.
Jointly hosted by the National Drugs Strategy Team and the SAOL Project, Cocaine Response: Sharing Good Practiceevent will share national and international thinking on drug rehab and treatment methods.
The one-day conference was set-up to look at Ireland's cocaine problem and to bring various drug support agencies together to exchange information.
In his first engagement as the newly appointed Minister of State with responsibility for Drugs Strategy, Pat Carey, opened the conference this morning.
Mr Carey who is involved in anti-drug initiatives in northside Dublin communities spoke of the risks involved in cocaine use.
"Regular cocaine use is linked to heart conditions and strokes and to various other physical complaints that vary depending on the route of administration of the drug," the Dublin North West TD said.
"Frequent or long-term use of cocaine can also have a powerful adverse effect on the user's mental health," he added.
Today's conference — 'Cocaine Response: Sharing Good Practice' included workshops focusing on therapy practices, harm reduction and outreach programmes.
Speakers included Tony Geoghan of the Merchants Quay Project, NDST director Patricia O'Connor, and Mairead Lyons, NACD Director.
Meanhwile, Sinn Féin's Aengus Ó Snodaigh called on Mr Carey to reverse the funding shortfall from Budget 2007 for local drugs services.
Mr Ó Snodaigh said: "It is imperative that the government make additional funding available via the Drugs Task Forces so that all locally identified funding deficits are addressed."