TWO young Limerick women are calling on the Irish Government to decriminalise drug users.
Laura Hughes (21) and Hayleigh Power (19) from Moyross, strongly believe that addiction is not simply an individual moral or criminal issue, but a social, political and economic one.
They are spearheading former heroin addict and best-selling author Rachael Keogh’s national campaign in Limerick to decriminalise the possession of small quantities of drugs and replace it with an individually focused system, which aims to rehabilitate rather than punish.
Laura and Hayleigh insist that incarcerating heroin addicts behind bars is not the answer to the city’s growing drug problem. Instead, they maintain that we need to fundamentally shift how we view drugs and drug users.
Laura’s 27-year-old brother has struggled with drug addiction since he was 16 and has been in and out of prison for non-violent drug related offences. The young community activist feels prison is not a deterrent, and is confident drug addicts like her brother would stand a better chance if they were moved from the criminal justice system under the umbrella of the health care system.
“It costs €70,000 to keep one person in jail for a year and over 70 per cent of those locked up are there because of drugs, so think of the help we could offer those people if we put that money into health clinics and rehab,” Ms Hughes commented.
“Heroin addicts need help not jail. Drugs are more easily available in prison so it doesn’t change or improve anything. What these people need is love and safety and aftercare. How are they ever going to get well and contribute to society if we don’t help them?” she asks.
The two Limerick women got involved with Rachael Keogh’s petition, which was launched in March, when she visited the city for TheatreClub’s production of ‘Moyross’ at the Lime Tree Theatre. They both see Rachael as an inspirational character with a powerful message to tell.
“She not only changed her own life but she’s changing other people’s lives now by retelling her own story of heroin addiction. Rachael should be invited to every school in the country to talk to young children, so we can get to them at an early age and warn them of the dangers of drugs,” Hayleigh suggests.
The petition to decriminalise drug users was organised by Rachael Keogh and playwright Grace Dyas in the hope that massive sums of money currently being invested in keeping people in jail could be redirected to other pillars of the national drug strategy. They are confident that this approach is far more likely to produce positive results.
With 27 detox beds in Ireland for an estimated 16,000 drug addicts, the campaigners insists that more rehabs and less prisons is the way forward.
There are currently 172 people being prescribed methadone in Limerick City, with a total of 238 people attending methadone clinics in the Mid West region. It is estimated that for every one person on the heroin substitute, there are another four using the Class A drug in Limerick.
Independent Limerick councillor John Gilligan who met campaigners Laura and Hayleigh while on the election canvass trail in Moyross, welcomed their initiative, enthusiasm and input.
“We are losing the fight against drugs in every estate in the City. If we the older generation do not listen to these young and articulate young women and their solutions to this issue then we will never beat this problem. We must listen to those on the ground if we are going to help turn the tide,” said Cllr Gilligan.
