This article is from page 2 of the 2008-10-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
ADDITIONAL resources are _ be- ing pumped in to fight the spread of drugs in Clare, as major drug dealers are being targeted.
Resources at the disposal of the Clare Garda Divisional drugs unit have increased in recent weeks, as a major focus on stamping out the availability of drugs across the coun- ty gets underway.
Gardai are concerned about young people experimenting with soft drugs and then progressing to harder drugs which have a lethal effect on their TaVene
Superintendent John Scanlan said a major crackdown has got underway and is poised to continue.
“We have seen a significant in- crease in the number of arrests of drug dealers in the Clare division,” said Supt Scanlan.
“We have put significant additional personnel into the drugs squad in En- nis. We are very conscious there is a problem,” he said.
“We are conscious about young people who have not yet caught on to drugs getting involved,’ added Supt Scanlan.
“We have made significant seizures. There is going to be zero tolerance,’
he said.
“We would appeal to anyone with any information on people involved in drugs to contact us in the strictest of confidence,” he said.
“Drugs cause deaths. Parents in particular wouldn’t want to believe that drugs wouldn’t invade their lives. That day is gone. Drugs prevail in all elements of society,” he added.
The cocaine-related deaths of two west Clare men – as revealed in this newspaper two weeks ago – led to grave concerns about the availability of drugs.
It prompted gardai to issue a tough warning on the availability of toxic
forms of cocaine.
“We are still seizing significant quantities of cocaine, which is a wor- ry. Our advice for anyone thinking of experimenting with cocaine is not to,’ said a garda source.
“Cocaine is generally cut with other substances. People who pre- pare cocaine are unscrupulous as to what substances they use to bulk it,” he said.
“The speed at which people get into trouble with cocaine is frighten- ing. We are amazed at this. People are more likely to get into financial bother, followed by addiction prob- lems,” added the source.