Sir, - The one certain effect of the September 11th attacks will be on the illegal drugs trade. Afghanistan is the main supplier to the West and the Irish drug barons are some of Afghanistan's best customers.
Some people may cheer the news that the supply from Afghanistan has been cut, but with heroin in short supply, the price will rocket and the number of thefts and other drug-related crimes are sure to increase sharply.
Because of the shortage, other drugs will enter the Irish drug culture on a wider scale. The road to Colombia is still very much open and cocaine is widely available in Ireland.
What has the Government put in place for the oncoming drought of heroin, especially if addicts desire treatment rather than opting for an alternative fix? Not one suggestion has to date been put forward, despite the fact that more than 5,000 people are receiving treatment for heroin addiction in the three health board areas of Dublin.
The waiting list for places is 200. It is estimated that 13,000 people take heroin in the Dublin region alone.
The Merchants Quay Centre treated more than 2,500 heroin users last year, a quarter of whom were new users. For the latter end of the year 2000, three seizures of crack cocaine were made, two in Dublin north central and one in Dublin south central. The amount seized was 72.6 grams. This is a pointer to the direction in which the drug culture in Ireland is destined.
There is a genuine fear among people working on the ground that we are heading for a disaster in relation to the drug crisis. - Yours, etc.,
Patrick Ryan, Hardwicke Street, Dublin 1.