Young Irish people are the biggest abusers of amphetamines and ecstasy in Europe, and the fourth highest in the world, a new global survey from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has found, writes Olivia Kelly
Levels of abuse of amphetamines (known as speed) are more than five times higher in Ireland than in most other European countries and are only exceeded by Thailand, Australia and the Philippines.
Irish people are the world's second biggest abusers of ecstasy after Australia. The UN survey of 27 countries where the synthetic drugs were prevalent found that ecstasy and amphetamines were the most popular drugs with people between 18 and 20 years of age.
Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, the director of the UN Office of Drugs and Crime, Mr Antonio Maria Costa, warned that Irish youngsters were playing a dangerous game of "Russian roulette".
Mr Costa said he was extremely concerned about the levels of synthetic drug abuse among young Irish people. "I worry very much about the Irish situation.
"In the first world survey on ecstasy and amphetamine statistics, Ireland featured very prominently in terms of consumption."
Increased prosperity and the ease of access to the Netherlands, where two-thirds of the European ecstasy is manufactured, were likely factors in Ireland's high levels of abuse, he said.
"Ireland finds itself very difficult to protect, as do all countries with a large expanse of coastline. It's being attacked on two fronts, from the Netherlands and, from the west, with cocaine from Colombia. To a lesser extent, it is also under attack with heroin from Afghanistan."
Mr Costa, who was in Dublin yesterday to attend the Pompidou Ministerial Conference on drugs policy in Europe, met the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, and the Minister for Health, Mr Martin.
He paid tribute to their efforts in combating synthetic drugs but said more needed to be done, particularly in the area of prevention.
"The purpose is not to point the finger at anyone, but to have open debate. Young people need to realise that consumption of amphetamines is the equivalent of Russian roulette.
"Not all will end up like zucchinis but the chances of a bullet in the brain are very high."