Madam, - I would like to thank Vincent Browne sincerely for his column in yesterday's edition putting the current "cocaine issue" in perspective.
Although the past week's events are indeed deeply tragic, we must not forget that consuming dangerous illegal substances is a personal choice. Poverty, on the other hand, is not. - Yours, etc,
BRENDAN ALMACK, Wolfe-Tone Square, Bray, Co Wicklow.
Madam, - Can we clear up the confusion, please? I read with frustration on Tuesday's front page a remark attributed to Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy that "people who took illegal drugs were putting their lives on the line as they did not know what was contained in them".
Drugs are chemicals which have the potential to do both good and harm. Society curtails an individual's freedom to consume such chemicals based on the perceived balance between the risks of using them and the benefits attributed to their use. For this reason, some medicines are restricted to being supplied on foot of a prescription; others are restricted to being sold from a pharmacy "by or under the direct supervision of a pharmacist"; while those considered to have a little or no benefit compared with their considerable potential to do harm are made illegal. People who take these chemicals "put their lives on the line".
It is unhelpful to have this message confused by any suggestion, unintentional or not, that other ingredients are the real cause of risk to one's life. My frustration stems from the fact that I regularly hear comments from well-intentioned friends, many are also parents of teenagers and young adults, suggesting that officially produced supply would prevent the current spate of deaths from cocaine. Their interpretation is that those deaths must be caused by ingredients added to the "pure" cocaine, rather than the chemical itself. (A report on page 6 of Tuesday's edition does clarify the Garda's official position on this matter.)
I would appeal to all those in a position to be quoted on such matters, and to those journalists representing the matter to the general public, to avoid adding to any confusion. Cocaine, and other illegal drugs, put lives on the line. - Yours, etc,
CICELY ROCHE MPSI, Kilmurray, Gorey, Co Wexford.
Madam, - As a college student in Dublin, I am surprised that many people still classify cocaine as a drug of the richer in our society. While I'm aware that some people in that category are common users of the drug, I believe it to be untrue to brand cocaine as a drug of the "middle-class Foxrock dweller". It is obvious, from the Prime Time mini-series on RTÉ and from recent high-profile cases, that cocaine is the scourge of many areas in Ireland. Drugs are not specific to certain areas and people should be aware of this rather than making misleading statements that do not convey the sheer scale of the problem. - Yours, etc,
JOHN MONTGOMERY, Booterstown, Co Dublin.
Madam, - Whatever about the dream being over (John Waters, Opinion, December 10th), the nightmare continues for the families and loved ones of those afflicted and bereaved by the Celtic Tiger drugs culture.
It is not news that cocaine, ecstasy and other drugs have been available in certain well-known clubs and bars for a number of years. I wonder how often such venues have been raided by the police and subsequently closed for business? - Yours, etc,
PATRICK O'BYRNE, Shandon Crescent, Phibsborough, Dublin 7.
Madam, - I note with interest that the Taoiseach could find the time to ensure that he was represented at the funeral of a young socialite and model who passed away recently, and whose death is the subject of ongoing investigations, reported all too extensively in the Irish media, including this paper.
I can only hope that he will extend the same courtesy to those who are unfortunate enough to lose their loved ones as a result of mistakes made by the various arms of the health service. - Yours, etc,
SHARON TOBIN, George Town, Grand Cayman, British West Indies.
Madam, - Speaking on RTÉ, Minister for Enterprise and Employment Michael Martin said: "I think that we are at a tipping point", referring to lessons learned from recent cocaine-related deaths. Good for Mr Martin!
Now that we are at the tipping point (whatever that means) how about a solution to our national drug problem? Let me suggest that the Irish people can learn a lot from America's failed policy on drugs. The first thing that should be learned is that incarcerating people for indeterminate sentences is not the answer. Nor is "getting tough on drug users and pushers and telling young people just to say No".
The answer lies in beginning a national discussion on the decriminalisation of all drugs. It would be very refreshing if just one elected official - or, for that matter, a newspaper editor - would have the courage to start the discussion. - Yours, etc,
VINCENT J. LAVERY, Glasthule, Co Dublin.