Campaigners today urged the Government to bring the same dedication and investment to tackling drug abuse as it did in cutting road deaths.
At an annual commemoration service for those killed by drugs, campaigners claimed adequate services were urgently needed to prevent further deaths.
Sadie Grace, of the Family Support Network, a group providing help to relatives of drug abusers, demanded a national drug awareness campaign on a par with the efforts to improve road safety.
“We now have a Road Safety Authority as well as a consistent and well-funded national television and radio road safety campaign,” Ms Grace said.
“While we applaud this effort and are pleased to see road deaths reduced year after year, we would like to see a similar dedicated campaign applied to the drugs area.
“In the 1980s, Dublin witnessed epidemic levels of heroin addiction, which has been attributed to the social deprivation and marginalisation experienced at the time,” Ms Grace said.
“In these times of great economic difficulty, such an experience could be repeated and there is a risk that drug services will fall victim to cutbacks and hinder the progress that has been made over recent years.”
Among those at the service in Sean McDermott Street Church were the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Eibhlin Byrne, junior Drugs Minister John Curran, Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen was represented by his aide de camp, Commandant Michael Treacy.
PA