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War on drugs eyes Bebo and Facebook
THE Government is to use social websites such as Bebo and Facebook in the next phase of its war on drugs.
11-26-`07 | The Irish Examiner | by Eoin English

Drugs Minister Pat Carey confirmed an information campaign targeting young people will be rolled out shortly. The initiative will use “youth-friendly” media to spread the message.

Mr Carey, who was in Cork to officially open the Knocknaheeny Youth Link-Point project, made his comments as John Grey, 23, from Ballybeg and Kevin Doyle, 21, from Viewmount in Waterford continued to fight for their lives. They remained in a coma last night after taking drugs, possibly cocaine, at a party on Saturday night.

“This is very alarming,” he said. “What we are trying to get over to the public is that there is a problem out there — I am not ignoring it, the Government is not ignoring it.” Mr Carey said there is no point in pretending that Ireland doesn’t have a drugs problem.

“That’s why I am very anxious to have a focused information campaign which we will be rolling out very shortly through the health promotion unit of the Department of Health. We have to use media that are young people friendly — Bebo and Facebook — as well as localised initiatives.”

The Government’s leading drugs adviser yesterday said the emergencies in Waterford city highlighted the danger of taking several drugs.

Dr Des Corrigan said initial reports suggested that either high-purity cocaine or cocaine mixed with alcohol may have caused the severe reactions at the house party in Ballybeg.

“I think it’s more consistent with either high-dose cocaine or cocaine plus alcohol. It seems more compatible with that, but you have to expect the unexpected with drugs,” said Dr Corrigan, chairman of the National Advisory Committee on Drugs.

“The initial reports highlight the increasing element of polydrug use or people using combinations of drugs, where sometimes it is almost impossible to know how the individual drugs will react with one another,” he said.

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