Drug driving offences rise to same level as drink driving in Laois
The Garda Chief Superintendent for Laois has said drugs have hit every section of society.
Detections of drug drivers found on Laois roads are now on a par with the number of drunk drivers, Chief Superintendent John Scanlan has reported this week.
“We have made significant arrests in interdicting large volumes of drugs and we also have a challenge in our roads. 50% of our detections in intoxicated driving is now drugs,” Garda Chief Supt Scanlan said.
Speaking at a public meeting in Portlaoise with the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, and the independent Policing Authority, Chief Supt John Scanlan said local people have even come to his own front door to seek help for their families.
“I cannot over emphasise how pervasive drugs are in our society at the moment.
“Drugs pervades all of the country at this stage. I started out in Dublin, I worked in a drugs unit in the north side some 40 years ago when drug debts became the currency of heroin abuse in inner city Dublin and did untold damage.
“We are now witnessing significant quantities of drugs being distributed across all strata of society, almost a risk of normalisation of it. It’s a challenge to us all. Once upon a time it was lower socioeconomic groups, now it’s all sections of society," he said.
He said that the close community involvements by many Gardaí helps in providing support to people affected by drugs and to their families.
“For me that worked out to two or three people coming to my personal front door, discussing with me as a guard, regardless of my rank, their concerns in their own family home of a child using drugs,” he said.
“If people are involved in using drugs, and are being intimidated, there are several lines into that, one is our community guards that interface with NGOs here, the youthgroups, schools programmes, we have many outreach ways of reaching to people because we are so embedded in our communities.
“Drugs are so pervasive across society now that our lines of communication are many and varied.
“There needs to be engagement with families who are subject to intimidation because elements of the family have run up drug debts with criminal cohorts. They are being supported,” he said.
“I police Electric Picnic, and the health authorities brought to that the idea of testing the veracity of some of the drugs that some of the people are using at the festival that represent a significant risk to their health.
“We have extensive relationships with the promoter. Ten years ago people were just excluded from the event and if they were acutely ill, ok there was treatment. We brought in a welfare tent.
“You’d be an ostrich putting your head in the sand if you didn’t acknowledge the significant challenges around drugs, particularly cocaine and those type of drugs.
“Twenty years ago I wouldn’t have had a drugs unit. I now have a unit and it looks like I’ll need four sergeants and 20 Gardaí for it,” Chief Supt Scanlan said.