Galway Heroin Problem

AJGalway

It has come to my attention that there is and will continue to be a growing Heroin problem in our small city that is Galway.

I would like to start this thread as a platform for us Galwegians to discuss and report such activity that is Obviously ongoing in the city center.

WallyGUFC

Been like that for the past few years. The users are usually very recognisable. I believe the castle on the Dyke Road is a popular spot for them to shoot up.

Das Kitty

To what end, OP?

I genuinely don't know what a thread like that would achieve.

Supposed to be very rampant in the city alright.

AJGalway

We all know what type of problems happen when things get out of hand, just look at the state of Dublin.

It hasn't been this bad in years. Spreading awareness and acknowledging the fact that the problem is growing can help.

I know that the toilets in Eyre Square is notorious for it. I've watched them come and go throughout the day.

Das Kitty

How can it help?

pleasant Co.

I'm sorry, just what exactly is the point of this thread?

What do you want to discuss?
What to you want to report and where do you intend on reporting it?

todders

Agree op, Some people can't spell heroin correctly..it's a real problem..

renegademaster

AJGalway wrote: »

It has come to my attention that there is and will continue to be a growing Heroin problem in our small city that is Galway.

I would like to start this thread as a platform for us Galwegians to discuss and report such activity that is Obviously ongoing in the city center.

Das Kitty wrote: »

To what end, OP?

I genuinely don't know what a thread like that would achieve.

rarnes1 wrote: »

Supposed to be very rampant in the city alright.

pleasant Co. wrote: »

I'm sorry, just what exactly is the point of this thread?

What do you want to discuss?
What to you want to report and where do you intend on reporting it?

todders wrote: »

Agree op, Some people can't spell heroin correctly..it's a real problem..

WallyGUFC wrote: »

Been like that for the past few years. The users are usually very recognisable. I believe the castle on the Dyke Road is a popular spot for them to shoot up.

AJGalway wrote: »

We all know what type of problems happen when things get out of hand, just look at the state of Dublin.

It hasn't been this bad in years. Spreading awareness and acknowledging the fact that the problem is growing can help.

I know that the toilets in Eyre Square is notorious for it. I've watched them come and go throughout the day.

Das Kitty wrote: »

How can it help?

I met this extremely knowledgeable and approachable Portuguese dude at a students for sensible drug use talk in NUIG, and what he had to say was very sensible to say the least

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/03/17/lowering-the-deadly-cost-of-drug-abuse/decriminalizing-possession-of-all-illicit-drugs

João Castel-Branco Goulão is Portugal’s national drug coordinator and the chairman of the European Monitoring Center on Drugs and Drug Addiction.
March 17, 2014


The overthrow of Portugal’s military dictatorship 40 years ago brought liberation after decades of repression. But along with political freedom and self expression, came another import from the free world that our citizens had long been denied, drugs. With little experience of their dangers, addiction and social problems soared. Soon the rates of abuse and overdose were staggering.

Portugal deals with drug abusers outside of court, making treatment a priority.

We responded with a drastic measure. In 2000, Portugal decriminalized the use of all illicit drugs, and developed new policies on prevention, treatment, harm reduction and reinsertion. Drug use is no longer a crime, but it is still prohibited. Possession of what a person would use in 10 days or less is no longer a matter for the courts. Users are referred to Commissions for Drug Addiction Dissuasion, which educate them, discourage them from consuming drugs and help them find treatment. The idea behind the new law is that drug addiction must be addressed as a health or social condition.
While critics of the law warned that drug use would swell, it has not risen. We have seen significant reductions in H.I.V. infections and in overdoses, as well as a substantial increase in new patients seeking drug treatment.
Much of this reduction in the harm suffered by drug users, I believe, is due to the commissions' outreach, treatment programs and measures to protect users' health.
Police and customs authorities continue to suppress trafficking, but they now have added resources that were once allocated to pursuing users.

SIMPLES!!

todders

renegademaster wrote: »

I met this extremely knowledgeable and approachable Portuguese dude at a students for sensible drug use talk in NUIG, and what he had to say was very sensible to say the least

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/03/17/lowering-the-deadly-cost-of-drug-abuse/decriminalizing-possession-of-all-illicit-drugs


João Castel-Branco Goulão is Portugal’s national drug coordinator and the chairman of the European Monitoring Center on Drugs and Drug Addiction.
March 17, 2014


The overthrow of Portugal’s military dictatorship 40 years ago brought liberation after decades of repression. But along with political freedom and self expression, came another import from the free world that our citizens had long been denied, drugs. With little experience of their dangers, addiction and social problems soared. Soon the rates of abuse and overdose were staggering.

Portugal deals with drug abusers outside of court, making treatment a priority.

We responded with a drastic measure. In 2000, Portugal decriminalized the use of all illicit drugs, and developed new policies on prevention, treatment, harm reduction and reinsertion. Drug use is no longer a crime, but it is still prohibited. Possession of what a person would use in 10 days or less is no longer a matter for the courts. Users are referred to Commissions for Drug Addiction Dissuasion, which educate them, discourage them from consuming drugs and help them find treatment. The idea behind the new law is that drug addiction must be addressed as a health or social condition.
While critics of the law warned that drug use would swell, it has not risen. We have seen significant reductions in H.I.V. infections and in overdoses, as well as a substantial increase in new patients seeking drug treatment.
Much of this reduction in the harm suffered by drug users, I believe, is due to the commissions' outreach, treatment programs and measures to protect users' health.
Police and customs authorities continue to suppress trafficking, but they now have added resources that were once allocated to pursuing users.

SIMPLES!!

You lost me at "dude"

Simples, indeed..

catallus

Why would there be a "substantial increase" in those seeking drug treatment if the numbers of drug users/drug use "has not risen"?

Das Kitty

catallus wrote: »

Why would there be a "substantial increase" in those seeking drug treatment if the numbers of drug users/drug use "has not risen"?

Because people who were afraid to seek treatment for fear of prosecution finally did?

_Whimsical_

I've heard that there's a dramatic increase in heroin use in the city and read in the paper that on a Sunday afternoon before Christmas that there were people shooting up in public on a Sunday afternoon while families out for walks strolled past.
I've never heard anyone I know talking about it as a problem or encountering anything to do with it. Are there people here who are seeing it or encountering it regularly? Are there areas where it's an obvious problem now?

catallus

Das Kitty wrote: »

Because people who were afraid to seek treatment for fear of prosecution finally did?

Would a more obvious answer be that more people are using?

catallus

catallus wrote: »

Would a more obvious answer be that more people are using?

Yeah, I'd have thought that was obvious.

Higher usage would generally mean higher numbers seeking treatment.

biko

To give some background and sources for the claims by OP

Older city thread

Up to 300 people in Galway city use heroin
Rise in heroin use in Galway top priority for policing body
Galway targeted by Lithuanian heroin dealers
Galway heroin dealer tried to swallow bags

WallyGUFC

If you think this country will ever legalise illicit drugs (the same country which is introducing minimum pricing on alcohol and plain cigarette packets) you're sorely mistaken.

The herons are grand - it's the seagulls that are a menace.

WallyGUFC

WallyGUFC wrote: »

If you think this country will ever legalise illicit drugs (the same country which is introducing minimum pricing on alcohol and plain cigarette packets) you're sorely mistaken.

Yeah, not a chance any political party would even try it in the foreseeable future.

I'd imagine the drug problem would have to get far far worse for them to even consider it.

Das Kitty

catallus wrote: »

Would a more obvious answer be that more people are using?

I actually wasnt guessing. I shouldn't have used the question mark. It's a fact that fear of prosecution prevents addicts from seeking help.

catallus

Das Kitty wrote: »

I actually wasnt guessing. I shouldn't have used the question mark. It's a fact that fear of prosecution prevents addicts from seeking help.

Then how can one explain 2246 people entering drug treatment for the first time in Ireland versus only 2265 in Portugal (which has over double our population)?

http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/stats13#display:/stats13/tditab9b

It can't be because drug use in Portugal has fallen; even the staunchest defenders of decriminalisation claim only it "hasn't risen" and that's debatable:

Despite the downward trend observed during 2002–06, the most recent ESPAD study corroborates the findings of the HBSC study, showing an increase in consumption of illicit substances since 2006.

http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/country-overviews/pt#pdu

Anyways, I could be wrong, maybe it is police policy in Ireland to stake out treatment centres to find people to arrest, but I'd like to see some evidence of that :rolleyes:

The problem with drug prohibition is that the rewards for drug-dealing vastly outweigh the risks and punishment. That, and given human nature, which ensures an endless supply of people who are prepared to dope themselves up to the eyeballs given half a chance (witness any street full of drunken louts anywhere in the world on a Saturday night).

But really, is the solution making drugs more freely available the truly responsible solution?

El_Dangeroso

Can someone please fix the thread title? It's making me twitch every time I see it.

ben.schlomo

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

I've heard that there's a dramatic increase in heroin use in the city and read in the paper that on a Sunday afternoon before Christmas that there were people shooting up in public on a Sunday afternoon while families out for walks strolled past.
I've never heard anyone I know talking about it as a problem or encountering anything to do with it. Are there people here who are seeing it or encountering it regularly? Are there areas where it's an obvious problem now?

Sounds like something Keith Finnegan would be waffling on about.

RainyDay

todders wrote: »

Agree op, Some people can't spell heroin correctly..it's a real problem..

Look, I know they eat a lot of fish and all that, but give them a break.

TerrorFirmer

Pretty recently Chief Supt. for Galway said that 300 people are using Heroin in Galway, and over 20k worth has been seized in 2014. To be fair, it's not that high for a population the size of Galway.

However the most important part of that figure is the fact that it's increased pretty significantly since 2013. Also, Councillors in Westside have been recently vocal about discarded needles being discovered in playgrounds.

stampydmonkey

Loose needles makes me sick...a few kids in Dublin have been nicked on the Luas and Dart....cant imagine the damage id do to the next junkie i saw if my kid was ever caught by some junkies fcukin needle

Mrs OBumble

Has anyone provided a safe place for junkies to dispose of their needles?

inisboffin

stampydmonkey wrote: »

.a few kids in Dublin have been nicked on the Luas and Dart....

Where did you get this statistic? I'm kind of surprised that it's been children (multiple?) getting nicked on the Luas and Dart. I would have assumed that kids are way more likely to come in contact with used needles in places like waste grounds etc when playing. And was it only kids that got 'nicked' by needles on public transport, or a mix of adults too?

Lapin

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Has anyone provided a safe place for junkies to dispose of their needles?

Bless their dainty little hearts, it can't be easy holding down a full time drug habit and be expected clean up after themselves too.

How about providing a place to dispose of junkies instead?

Lapin

inisboffin wrote: »

Where did you get this statistic? I'm kind of surprised that it's been children (multiple?) getting nicked on the Luas and Dart. I would have assumed that kids are way more likely to come in contact with used needles in places like waste grounds etc when playing. And was it only kids that got 'nicked' by needles on public transport, or a mix of adults too?

There was a recent case.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/horror-as-little-boy-jabbed-by-syringe-needle-on-city-bus-30912613.html

inisboffin

Lapin wrote: »

There was a recent case.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/horror-as-little-boy-jabbed-by-syringe-needle-on-city-bus-30912613.html

Thanks, yeah I heard about that, awful situation, but the other poster seemed to cite multiple cases all on transport, which surprised me. The article seems to mention the other occurrences, but they some seem to be over 11 years ago, as opposed to recently as I interpreted.

I'm also failing to see how beating the sh*t out of the next junkie would do anything to rectify this. Bit like beating up the next drunk you saw because someone else hurt your kid.

inisboffin

Lapin wrote: »

How about providing a place to dispose of junkies instead?

Wow. Pretty disgusting sentiment.

happyoutscan

inisboffin wrote: »

Wow. Pretty disgusting sentiment.

I think this was more of a sarcastic response to - what I think anyway - was a ridiculous post.

Mrs OBumble

happyoutscan wrote: »

I think this was more of a sarcastic response to - what I think anyway - was a ridiculous post.

Sharps disposal containers are part of the harm reduction strategy in some parts of the world. They work.

inisboffin

happyoutscan wrote: »

I think this was more of a sarcastic response to - what I think anyway - was a ridiculous post.

Ok, fair enough but it doesn't read like that to me. And I don't think the idea of safe needle exchanges or disposal sites is ridiculous - a lot of places have them.

stampydmonkey

inisboffin wrote: »

Where did you get this statistic? I'm kind of surprised that it's been children (multiple?) getting nicked on the Luas and Dart. I would have assumed that kids are way more likely to come in contact with used needles in places like waste grounds etc when playing. And was it only kids that got 'nicked' by needles on public transport, or a mix of adults too?

heres another case
http://www.thejournal.ie/dart-syringe-1226513-Dec2013/

And an adult fyi..
http://www.thestar.ie/star/mums-ordeal-after-she-is-pricked-by-syringe-in-park-50382/

I dont know why u would assume only waste ground? I have seen needles all over town (dublin) and around public benches.

happyoutscan

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Sharps disposal containers are part of the harm reduction strategy in some parts of the world. They work.

Perhaps in other parts of the world. However I find it difficult to believe that today's typical Irish heroin user will dispose of their used equipment in these containers when they are currently finding it difficult to dispose of their used equipment in - for example - the nearest public waste bin?

AngryHippie

There are a few bigots on here that could do with some education on what they are waffling on about.
Try "chasing the scream" as a starting point.
or maybe spend an afternoon volunteering in a center for the poor wrecks that they so casually talk about disposing of.
There is a better way. Our society is to caught up in the spin and bullshit that they have been fed since primary school to open their eyes and see it.

Prohibition does not work

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Sharps disposal containers are part of the harm reduction strategy in some parts of the world. They work.

They don't really. Ever work in a needle exchange. They never bring the used needles back.

gctest50

happyoutscan wrote: »

..........dispose of their used equipment in - for example - the nearest public waste bin?

daft idea ffs - then the lads cleaning out the bins could get needle sticks

db97

every part of ireland is full of heroin addiction even small towns.. I can almost guarentee that in another few years even rural villages will be destroyed as they lack education about drugs and see heroin as just another thing to abuse without realising the real dangers and severe physical addiction that will follow.. I dont think methadone programmes are the answer either as methadone is just as bad if not worse then heroin its just a synthetic opiod that doctors are giving for free too people that might not even want to quit but just looking to be more stoned.. I think the key too overcoming the heroin problem in ireland is educating kids showing the real dangers of it and the guarenteed hellish lifestyle that comes with addiction so yea I think more education because the sad fact is alot of people will be offered drugs from an early age.

happyoutscan

gctest50 wrote: »

daft idea ffs - then the lads cleaning out the bins could get needle sticks

I didn't mean they should do this. I was making the point that if they currently do not dispose of their needles - for example in a bin - then they are unlikely to actually dispose of them in any container.

Lapin

inisboffin wrote: »

Wow. Pretty disgusting sentiment.

I didn't mean disposing people in the Corrib if that's what you're thinking.

But we're not going to solve a drug problem by installing needle drop boxes around town.

AngryHippie wrote: »

There are a few bigots on here that could do with some education on what they are waffling on about.
Try "chasing the scream" as a starting point.
or maybe spend an afternoon volunteering in a center for the poor wrecks that they so casually talk about disposing of.
There is a better way. Our society is to caught up in the spin and bullshit that they have been fed since primary school to open their eyes and see it.

Prohibition does not work

Try living with one of these 'poor wrecks' and you won't have to spend an afternoon volunteering at a centre to see how their addiction screws with the lives of everyone around them.

inisboffin

Lapin wrote: »

I didn't mean disposing people in the Corrib if that's what you're thinking.

But we're not going to solve a drug problem by installing needle drop boxes around town.



Try living with one of these 'poor wrecks' and you won't have to spend an afternoon volunteering at a centre to see how their addiction screws with the lives of everyone around them.

So what *did* you have in mind when you suggested disposing of them?

Addiction screws with more than the addict - agreed. Are you suggesting that no volunteer has ever been personally been affected by addiction themselves?

gctest50

Lapin wrote: »

But we're not going to solve a drug problem by installing needle drop boxes around town.
.

you might help solve the used-needles-everywhere problem a little bit though

it'd be worth a try

Posted by happyoutscan
I didn't mean they should do this. I was making the point that if they currently do not dispose of their needles - for example in a bin - then they are unlikely to actually dispose of them in any container.

they "can't" carry their used needles/syringes in their pockets - if they get searched it could be seen as "going equipped" for holding up a shop etc

they "can't" throw them in a bin because the lads cleaning out the bins might get needle-sticks

there doesn't seem to be anywhere proper and nearby for them to put the used needles

badker

Is the heroin problem worse than the alcohol problem?

AngryHippie

db97 wrote: »

I think the key too overcoming the heroin problem in ireland is educating kids showing the real dangers of it and the guarenteed hellish lifestyle that comes with addiction so yea I think more education because the sad fact is alot of people will be offered drugs from an early age.

I think at this stage that has been proven not to work, I still remember our "education" about drugs, and the real dangers of it. When someone's life is falling apart, they generally don't worry too much about what Ms. Jackson told them in 2nd year, whether it's the bottle, the pipe or the needle, if they have access and exposure, they will reach for it to escape the reality they are stuck with.

Money better spent would be keeping the heroin users safe, and helping them turn their lives around so they can tackle the problems that landed them in the clutches of addiction in the first place, be they social, personal or psychological.
The general public's understanding of addiction itself is very limited, as the DEA have continually funded research and evidence that supports the "war on drugs" as being the only way to tackle the problems of addiction in society. Rather than turning every child into an equally polarised bigot as some of the people on here by shouting drugs are bad at them, regulate the supply, control the environment and try and reduce the factors which cause it.

Try living with one of these 'poor wrecks' and you won't have to spend an afternoon volunteering at a centre to see how their addiction screws with the lives of everyone around them.

What I am suggesting is taking them out of the public domain where they have options that don't involve getting judged, spat on, degraded or abused by anyone. Placed in an environment where compassion and care is shown, the majority will eventually manage their lives. Many do carry on using, either because of psychological issues, trauma or depression. Many will be able to get the help they need to recognize the root causes of their issues and deal with them, working towards putting their lives back together.

I'm sure they aren't easy to live with, they will lie, steal, and sell themselves to get another fix. What I am proposing is you make that fix available, in a controlled environment and prevent further self hatred by having to lie cheat and steal to satisfy their need.

badker

badker wrote: »

Is the heroin problem worse than the alcohol problem?

Doubt it. I'd imagine alcohol destroys more lives than any other drug considering the number that consume it

Webbs

AngryHippie wrote: »

I'm sure they aren't easy to live with, they will lie, steal, and sell themselves to get another fix. What I am proposing is you make that fix available, in a controlled environment and prevent further self hatred by having to lie cheat and steal to satisfy their need.

A bit like the Swiss who have been successful in harm reduction using needle exchange policies and injection rooms. This has been a very successful policy as far as I can make out and is fully supported by Swiss Police

A lot of people talking here like the average user is a down on their luck type from a good background.

Of the ones I know of on it from one side of town, only one would fit that bill, a former friend of mine who I haven't spoke to in years.
The rest are scumbags who are fit for nothing but a prison cell.
They were scumbags before they got on it and that hasn't changed.

While this drug does catch the odd normal person, it by and large attracts the type of individual who would have been robbing houses and racking up convictions long before they decided to start doing it.

Webbs

Webbs wrote: »

A bit like the Swiss who have been successful in harm reduction using needle exchange policies and injection rooms. This has been a very successful policy as far as I can make out and is fully supported by Swiss Police

Ireland isn't forward thinking like that unfortunately.