THE organisers of an anti drugs march in Tallaght, which passed off peacefully on Tuesday night, said they had been contacted by residents in other Dublin suburban areas about measures against drug dealing.
Hundreds of Tallaght residents marched on the homes of alleged drug dealers.
The protest was organised by the Killinarden Association Against Drugs (KAAD). Over the last three months it has mounted a series of anti drug vigils and has been involved in a methadone programme for local addicts.
More than 300 people took 2 1/2 hours to march on 10 addresses on Tuesday night, mainly on the Cushlawn estate.
The march coincided with public meetings in three districts of Clondalkin, and the groups plan to form one organisation for residents in Dublin's southern and western suburbs.
Mr Pete Smith, a KAAD spokesman, told a meeting five major drug dealers had been driven out of the area and 14 smaller operators had come forward to say they had stopped.
The number of addicts on the methadone programme had increased from 22 to 38, and Dublin Corporation had evicted two families from the area in the past week after a series of complaints, he said.
There was no response from people in the houses targeted on Tuesday night. The crowd chanted "Pushers out". Gardai kept a discreet presence. Mr Smith said: "These were the families with one member involved in drugs. What we're doing is making what they are doing very public knowledge and focusing on it."
He said people in many other areas, including some in middle class estates, were now contacting them to learn how to combat drugs activity.