DRUG issues are growing in Ireland’s capital.
There has been a significant increase in the use of crack cocaine in the North Inner City area of Dublin in recent months.
Staff at the Ana Liffey Drug Project which is based in Dublin and works with drug users and homeless people in the area say there’s been a noticeable increase in the use of the drug among service users since the summer.
An increase in paraphernalia associated with crack cocaine, including makeshift pipes, was also noticed around some areas of Dublin city towards the end of last year.
Crack cocaine is a smokeable form of cocaine which is made by chemically altering cocaine powder to form crystals or rocks. It produces a short but intense high, with effects much stronger than cocaine powder.
The drug is typically inhaled, although the findings of the Ana Liffey Drug Project reveal that several people are injecting the drug into the neck, which supposedly gives quicker high.
People have also reported injecting speedballs – which are crack mixed with heroin.
CEO of Ana Liffey Drug Project Tony Duffin said: “The North Inner City has seen a noticeable increase in crack use since the summer of 2017. People who use Ana Liffey services have reported that they are smoking crack and are availing of Ana Liffey’s needle and syringe programme to access safe, clean crack pipes to use instead of makeshift ones.”
“These crack pipes are designed to better protect the user’s lungs compared with using a homemade makeshift pipe, and offer a chance for staff to engage with people about their crack use.”
Ana Liffey and the North Inner City Drugs Task Force are planning to launch a new campaign on awareness of crack cocaine use.
