The Citizens’ Assembly on drugs is urging the administration to expedite the implementation of its recommendations, in their entirety. It highlighted the importance of these recommendations, citing people’s lives and futures were at stake, which includes adopting a decriminalisation model. The assembly, having convened from April to October of the previous year, put forth 36 strategies intended to mitigate the damage inflicted by recreational drug use; these were subsequently published in a report.
The primary recommendation stipulates that the State should approach drug use and misuse primarily as a health concern rather than a criminal justice issue. Paul Reid, the assembly’s chairman, addressed the Oireachtas committee on drug use last week and emphasised their crucial role in the next phase of this process; however, he urged the government to act swiftly.
Reid spoke on Tuesday about the assembly’s insights gained during its work on the recommendations, noting that while drug use is widespread across the country and within all socioeconomic groups, certain vulnerable communities and disadvantaged groups face disproportionate repercussions. The assembly recognised how addiction can ruin lives and how organised crime gangs exploit young people, ushering them into criminal activities.
The limitations of the government’s approach, unchanged substantially for decades, was also noted. The effort and duration required for even minor alterations was astonishing for assembly members. They also voiced their dissatisfaction over the delay in implementing even the most minor proposals for a Health Diversion programme, a measure which was alluded to in the 2017 National Drugs Strategy and the current Programme for Government.
Reid mentioned their concern over insufficient availability of drug services in local settings and prisons, insisting that criminalisation wasn’t an effective method of addressing this issue. The assembly’s report ended with other recommendations, including the establishment of a dedicated Cabinet committee, led by the Taoiseach, to oversee a policy shift towards decriminalisation of illicit substances.
The final report proposes that the criminal justice system should adopt a more health-oriented approach to addressing the issue of drug possession for personal use. It suggests that while drug possession would continue to be viewed as illegal, the priority would be to provide those found with illicit drugs the chance to voluntarily engage with health services. This method could potentially eliminate the chance of imprisonment or criminal charges for possession of any prohibited substances. Those found with illegal drugs would be offered a health referral, incorporating access to services for combating addiction.
This scheme is already in place in countries like Portugal and Austria, where health diversion, decriminalisation, and deterrent penalties are employed together. Additional proposals in the report includes enhanced support systems for children and families affected by drug usage, along with the enlargement of harm reduction initiatives and services for treatment and recovery.
Reid commented before the Oireachtas, stressing the urgency of the matter, indicating the many lives at risk due to drug usage. “There is no time to waste,” Reid stressed, stating the immediate impact drug use has upon numerous individuals in this country.