Drugs
National Drugs Strategy
The Government’s policy framework on drugs is the NationalDrugsStrategy2009-2016/
http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/12388/1/DCRGA_Strategy_2009-2016.pdf
The new National Drugs Strategy constitutes an "interim" policy pending the development of the broader Substance Misuse Strategy that is to be formulated in accordance with the Government decision of 31 March 2009 to include alcohol and drugs in a combined National Substance Misuse Policy.
A key principle underpinning the Irish approach is to address the problem in a partnership way involving the statutory, community and voluntary treatment providers sectors and these 3 sectors are represented on all the structures in place under our drugs policy framework.
Implementation of the Strategy will be managed through 63 proposed Actions across these 5 pillars and this pillar approach will complement the EU Drug Action Plan 2009-2012 with its 2 key dimensions of drug policy, demand reduction and supply reduction and its associated cross-cutting themes of co-ordination, international co-ordination and information, research and evaluation.
Progress on the implementation of the Strategy will be monitored by the Drugs Policy Unit at the Department of Health under the stewardship of Minister of State, Roisin Shortall T.D.
The strategy is delivered across a number of Government departments, agencies and the community and voluntary treatment sectors by the Department of Health.
Drugs Legislation
The designation of substances as controlled substances is the responsibility of the Department of Health under the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977 and 1984.
Role of the Department of Justice and Equality
In relation to drug misuse, the role of the Department of Justice and Equality is primarily, although not exclusively, the reduction of drug supply. The Department contributes to the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy by participating in the structures that have been put in place to roll out the strategy.
Role of An Garda Síochána
An Garda Síochána plays a key role in tackling the problem of drug misuse locally, nationally and internationally. The Garda National Drugs Unit targets national and international drug trafficking. At local level, local Garda units police the drugs situation, and the Garda Diversion Programme is aimed at preventing young people from becoming involved in drug misuse.
Representatives from both An Garda Síochána and the Probation Service sit on the Local and Regional Drug Task Forces.
Details of Garda drug seizures are available in the annual reports of An Garda Síochána.
Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre - Narcotics
The Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre - Narcotics (MAOC-N) is an international and interagency organisation focused on intelligence exchange to tackle large drug shipments by sea and air. The centre also aims to sever links between transportation networks and shore-based command-and-control personnel.
The MAOC-N was set up by seven European countries - Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Europol, the European Commission and the US Joint Inter-Agency Drugs Task Force (JIATF) are observers at the centre.
The centre is designed as an international co-ordination force with access to national tasking agencies and requires participation and resources from all active members. It is organised to maximise operational effectiveness and staffed by experienced personnel. The centre assists in integrating the control strategies of its members in this specialist arena of drug trafficking.
Drugs and Alcohol Treatment Services
Information is available from the Department of Health in relation to drugs and alcohol treatment services.
Local Community Involvement
A key feature of the Government’s policy response to drug misuse is to ensure the active involvement of local communities in a partnership approach with Government departments and agencies and voluntary treatment providers to tackle the problem.
Citywide, the community development organisation, plays a key role in promoting and supporting the involvement of the people who are most affected by the problem: drug users, their families and communities.
National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD)
The National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD) was established in July 2000 to conduct research on drug misuse and to advise Government on policy development in the area. The NACD operates under the auspices of the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs.
The committee reports to the Minister of State with special responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy. Its role is to advise the Government in relation to prevalence, prevention, treatment/rehabilitation and consequences of problem drug use in Ireland based on its analysis of research findings and information available to it.
The mandate of the NACD was extended to July 2008 to coincide with the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008. The work programme for 2005-2008 has four key elements:
- commissioned research
- grant-aided research
- internal research
- communications
Voluntary Treatment Providers
Merchants Quay Ireland is a voluntary organisation providing a wide range of services to homeless people and drug users. For information on homelessness and drug use in Ireland, visit the organisation's website.
National Documentation Centre on Drug Use
The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use is a unique information resource providing Irish researchers with access to electronic and hard-copy research documentation on all aspects of drug use.
Drugs.ie
Drugs.ie provides information and support on drugs and alcohol issues. Drugs.ie is funded by the Health Service Executive and managed by Crosscare Drug and Alcohol Programme.
The European Monitoring Centre for Drug and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)
The EMCDDA exists to provide the EU and its Member States with a factual overview of European drug problems and a solid evidence base to support the drugs debate. The EMCDDA seeks to provide sound and comparable information on drugs in Europe. The agency collects country data in a harmonised way and then feeds this information through national drug monitoring centres (Reitox network) to the Lisbon agency for analysis, resulting in a variety of information products conveying the broader European picture. While the EMCDDA is primarily European in focus, it also works with partners in other world regions, exchanging information and expertise.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
UNODC is a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and international crime. Established in 1997 through a merger between the United Nations Drug Control Programme and the Centre for International Crime Prevention, UNODC operates in all regions of the world through an extensive network of field offices.
UNODC is mandated to assist Member States in their struggle against illicit drugs, crime and terrorism.
The three pillars of the UNODC work programme are:
· Field-based technical cooperation projects to enhance the capacity of Member States to counteract illicit drugs, crime and terrorism
· Research and analytical work to increase knowledge and understanding of drugs and crime issues and expand the evidence base for policy and operational decisions
· Normative work to assist States in the ratification and implementation of the relevant international treaties, the development of domestic legislation on drugs, crime and terrorism, and the provision of secretariat and substantive services to the treaty-based and governing bodies.