‘Crack cocaine use is a permanent feature’

THE support needed by families and communities impacted on by a rise in crack cocaine use was the focus of an address to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health by the Tallaght Drugs and Alcohol Task Force.

On Wednesday, December 1, Grace Hill, coordinator of the Tallaght Drugs and Alcohol Task Force, and Shane Hamilton, co-ordinator of JADD (Jobstown Assisting Drug Dependency) addressed an online sitting of the committee.

The address followed the recent launch of research on the landscape of substance misuse and its impact on the communities of the Tallaght Drugs and Alcohol Task Force, which highlights the impact of crack cocaine on local communities.

Speaking during the address, Shane Hamilton said that since crack cocaine emerged in 2018, it has become the primary problematic drug in Jobstown and surrounding areas.

“Crack cocaine is no longer an emerging drug, it’s availability and use are widespread across Tallaght, and highly problematic,” he said.

“Crack cocaine use is a permanent feature inmost addiction services in Tallaght and will be for the foreseeable future.

“Crack cocaine is a completely different drug to heroin, there is no substitute pharmacological treatment, no silver bullet to address this issue.”

He added: “In relation to funding for crack cocaine supports and treatments, as it currently stands, JADD do not know if they will be providing crack cocaine supports in 2022.

“The lack of clarity around funding is of major concern to JADD, particularly as it prevents us from planning services towards crack cocaine users.

“I would say to the committee, that should this issue not receive the appropriate level of funding, the public health costs that could emerge will be significant, and would more than likely, outweigh the cost of an appropriate response.”

Grace Hill also spoke of the need for funding, highlighting to the committee that the interim funding for the task force is below the level of funding in 2010.

“Despite Government funding increasing by about 50 percent in the last decade and a health budget of €21bn, we have not seen any increase…” Ms Hill said.

“In addition, with respect to the crack cocaine issue, the budget of €500k for the entire country, lacks understanding of the scale of the problem and the level of supports required to address it.”

In his closing comment, Mr Hamilton stressed to the committee that individuals, families and communities “need you on their side”.

“They need your support, as we all know, drugs are available in most communities, but they do not impact all communities in the same way,” he said.

“Crack cocaine is destroying the sense of community in parts of Tallaght.

“I would urge you to support our call for funding to keep individuals safe, to keep families in their homes, to keep children with their families, and to minimize the public health risks and to increase treatment supports to individuals and families affected by crack cocaine use.”

Visit the Tallaght Drugs and Alcohol Task Force HERE for a list of services in local communities.