Second-level students can buy ecstasy tablets for as little as €2.50, the Dáil was told today.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny called for voluntary drug testing in schools to stop the "infestation" of drugs.
The drugs issue was raised in the Dáil just a day after a 21-year-old Waterford man died following an accidental overdose at a party in Waterford City on November 25th. The family of Kevin Doyle later issued a statement calling on people throughout the country to say no to drugs.
Raising the drugs problem at leaders' questions, Mr Kenny said: "If you take any second-level school in the country, I'm told by students themselves that it is now possible to buy ecstasy tablets for €2.50 out of their pocket money.
"We know the consequences of that infestation of that and what it can lead to. This is a challenge for everybody." He called for a voluntary code of random drug testing within schools.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said it was very dangerous to glamorise cocaine as a recreational drug, but this had crept into Irish life.
He added: "I strongly caution young adult males against using cocaine or any other illegal drugs. There are serious physical and mental health problems that arise from its use.
"It is particularly dangerous when combined with alcohol or other substances. We have seen an number of cases of that this year, not just in recent weeks. These messages of the real dangers associated with the drug need to be highlighted across all parts of the community."
Mr Ahern said people must also realise the level of serious criminal activity associated with the drug. The Taoiseach said drugs seized during 2007 include 113kg of heroin worth €22 million, 1.6 tonnes of cocaine worth €117 million, 1.3 tonnes of cannabis resin and 1.7 tonnes of herbal cannabis.
He told the Dáil that gardaí were targeting and dismantling national and international drug trafficking networks and conducting intelligence-led operations focusing on the illegal trade.
However Mr Kenny said the drugs problem was an issue that concerned every household in the country. The TD said that for every tonne of cocaine seized by authorities, there are nine tonnes that slip through the net. There were 13,000 heroin users in Dublin, with only 30 detox beds in the capital, he claimed.