By Cliona Connolly
Cliona@monaghanpost.com

THE DANGERS of killer drugs such as Cocaine must be made clear to young people in a radical overhaul of the drug education programmes in schools according to Seymour Crawford, Fine Gael TD for Cavan/Monaghan.

“The message must be that drugs kill, that there is no quality control of drugs, that drug dealers care only about money, and that drugs are illegal. Cocaine use is rampant and is a leading killer,” the Deputy stated.

The TD believes the National Drugs Strategy has failed. “Cocaine is a growing problem and heroin is still widely in use. We need a National Forum on Drugs to co-ordinate the national strategy and tackle the ever-growing problem of drug use, drug dealing and drug warfare and alcohol consumption,” he said.

The tragic death of top model Katy French is not enough to shock teens into realising the dangers drugs pose according to the TD. “The lives and deaths of those who have died too young from James Dean to Kurt Cobain have always had a tinge of romance. Only when young people meet and hear the heartbreak of family members, when they meet a medic who can show how drugs devastate your body, or when they see a drug user’s pain, will the dangers of drugs be exposed,” Deputy Crawford explained.

The TD has also called for major investment in drug treatment programmes. “We need to demystify drugs, take off the glossy cover and expose the real medical and psychological ramifications of drug use. We need to reach a stage where snorting a line of cocaine is as socially unacceptable as stumbling drunk out of the pub, car-keys in hand. Those involved in drug dealing and trafficking must be dealt with in no uncertain terms by the courts,” concluded Deputy Crawford.