Junkies in city centre [MOD WARNING POST #331]

Bill2673

Pace2008 wrote: »

Saudi Arabia, the gold standard in legal terms for which every country should aim.

I was going to add on to my post that the places where you won't see it are police states, and fairly conservative places to boot. So Cuba: a police state with a liberal outlook and drugs are openly consumed. Saudi Arabia, a police state with a conservative outlook. Thats my guess, I;m not reading from any WHO report here.

Bill2673

Bill2673 wrote: »

Really where are they?

I've seen people shooting up in the street plenty of times outside Ireland. Last year I saw several junkies in a group shooting up in a train station outside Oslo. Have seen it in Germany, US, UK, Italy, India also, for example.

I've only seen it in Dublin and New York City, and the latter wasn't even directly seeing anything, just seeing a junkie come out of a bathroom after having injected. I've never been anywhere but Dublin where junkies were openly shooting up in the busy central areas of town. I don't know how typical that is, but judging by this thread, it's not that strange.

BraziliaNZ

why isn't Joe Duffy all over this problem like he was with Mephadrone? Someone needs to get onto him. If 3 or 4 concerned aul ones call that guy he seems to get legislation drafted before you can say "problem solved". I have a job so can't listen/call him!

evercloserunion

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

why isn't Joe Duffy all over this problem like he was with Mephadrone? Someone needs to get onto him. If 3 or 4 concerned aul ones call that guy he seems to get legislation drafted before you can say "problem solved". I have a job so can't listen/call him!

Joe wouldn't touch this. You can't solve this problem by rushing legislation to ban everything. What they're doing is already illegal.

g5fd6ow0hseima

Degsy wrote: »

And get rid of these "TREATMENT CENTRES"..we're paying thier fcucking dole,why should they deserve free drugs as well?

Well, regardless if whether it has a profound effect on usage levels, the one thing that treatment centres would certainly do is remove the link between the user and the dealer. It's not that difficult to understand. It works in the Netherlands, and even in the case of Portugal - although in infancy - it seems that their decision to provide centres for junkies is yielding some earli positives.

People like you do nothing but maintain the status-quo. Ignorance gets society nowhere.

BraziliaNZ

seriously the STATE of the place. On my cycle home today, from O'Connell st down to the dart bridge was about 50% junkie, 25% workers and another 25% tourists. It's a national outrage. Imagine the poor souls who are staying in one of the many hotels/hostels in that area. It really makes my blood boil that they do nothing about it. Who can I/we complain to???

southsiderosie

ria5000 wrote: »

the guards in store street wear high visibility jackets at all times so anyone selling/supplying drugs sees the guards coming a mile away. theres lots of plain clothes guards in that area aswell, EVERY SINGLE DAY. you wouldnt notice them because they dont have a large GARDA sign written on their back. lots and lots of arrests are made in store street every day for drug offences, lots of them from the marlborough street area. unless you're on marlborough street area 24 hours a day then you wouldnt see this and you shall continue in your ignorant opinion that the garda do nothing!!

Well then color half the thread ignorant. I spent most of June going from Connelly station to Trinity College in the mornings, and I was guaranteed to see open drug dealing along the Quays between the Custom House and O'Connell Street, and it seemed far worse that in previous months (or last summer, for that matter). Whatever the guards are doing, it isn't nearly enough.

Bill2673 wrote: »

Really where are they?

I've seen people shooting up in the street plenty of times outside Ireland. Last year I saw several junkies in a group shooting up in a train station outside Oslo. Have seen it in Germany, US, UK, Italy, India also, for example.

Would you see people shooting up in the middle of Picadilly Circus at 9am? Or on the Spanish Steps during the Sunday evening stroll? Train and bus stations are pretty sketchy no matter what city, but I have lived in Chicago, New York, Boston, DC, Miami, Madrid, and Dublin, and Dublin is by far the worst I have seen. As bad as the drug problems are in DC - which was absolutely decimated by crack cocaine in the 1980s - you won't see people dealing in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Hell, you won't see it on 125th Street in Harlem these days.

Bill2673 wrote: »

Sorry pal, but you've really contradicted yourself there.....you're saying on the one hand that the Guards to nothing, and that the state does nothing.....but the prevalence of the drug problem has nothing to do with the apathy of the people? Sorry now.....but believe it or believe not.....the guards do what the state tells them, and the state (govt) does what it needs to do to win votes. When has the drug problem in Dublin or Ireland ever been an election issue in this country? i rest my case.

This is the post I responded to:

Originally Posted by Bill2673
Part of the reason for the drug problem in Ireland is that Irish people have never really cared about the Poor and most marginalised people in society; and judging by this thread that is largely still the case. Shift them on so that the tourists won't be upset.

My response simply said that there are countries where the government doesn't really care about poor people - the US being the main case in point - but the state STILL does not allow open-air drug markets in major commercial areas or in the city center. Drugs and gang turf wars over drugs are destroying parts of the south and west sides of Chicago, but you will never, ever see crack dealers openly operating on LaSalle Street (the city financial center) or on Michigan Avenue (the main shopping drag). And even in the worst neighborhoods, the police at least make the effort to clear the corners, especially if residents are complaining - something that is apparently not worth the effort of the guards, according to some comments on this and other related threads.

I also noted in an earlier post that part of the reason why I think the garda/local response is so apathetic is precisely because it's a local problem that local government basically has no control over. In places like New York, there is a political incentive for the local government and police force to clean up the city because city leaders know it will bite them in the ass come election day if they don't. Without some real leadership in the Dail, a devolution of power to local government that promotes accountability to residents, or a spectacularly embarrassing incident involving foreign (American) tourists that gets a lot of media attention and provokes the government into action, there will be little political incentive to address to problem.

gollem_1975

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

why isn't Joe Duffy all over this problem like he was with Mephadrone? Someone needs to get onto him. If 3 or 4 concerned aul ones call that guy he seems to get legislation drafted before you can say "problem solved". I have a job so can't listen/call him!

when I was out of work this issue WAS discussed on Liveline at least once and i have heard that it was discussed again recently.

One reason why its not getting Headshops part 2 coverage is that its not a issue which is affecting the main street of every town in the country.

Do you regularly listen to Liveline ?

I have actually noticed less "activity" around the O'Connell St./Parnell Street area over the last few days mind you.

In related news
the outgoing head of the college of physicians in the UK called for the issue of the legalisation of Class A's to be discussed

gollem_1975

southsiderosie wrote: »

I also noted in an earlier post that part of the reason why I think the garda/local response is so apathetic is precisely because it's a local problem that local government basically has no control over. In places like New York, there is a political incentive for the local government and police force to clean up the city because city leaders know it will bite them in the ass come election day if they don't. Without some real leadership in the Dail, a devolution of power to local government that promotes accountability to residents, or a spectacularly embarrassing incident involving foreign (American) tourists that gets a lot of media attention and provokes the government into action, there will be little political incentive to address to problem.

I think you are probably right there.

another reason is that very few of the cities you mention have disadvantaged areas within a stones throw of the cities main thoroughfare.

There probably is a lot of dealing going on in these commercial areas you are talking about but its very discreet ( these people have more to lose if they're caught perhaps )

tintin67

cosmic wrote: »

Was in Smithfield yesterday at lunch going to the Motor Tax Office and I was surprised at how many of them there were down there. I wouldn't normally be in the square during the day so I wouldn't know what it's generally like around then, maybe it was the warm weather, but the place was teeming with them.

I walk through Smithfield regularly and have noticed a major increase in the level of open drug dealing and number of obvious junkies and general bums hanging around in the last couple of weeks. Is this where all the displaced heads from the boardwalk/Eden Quay etc have moved to?
Pretty bizarre it's so obvious seeing as the place is full of solicitors' offices and is next to the Bridewell Garda station and the Four Courts.

Valmont

I have also noticed the increase in junkies in recent years. They really do seems to be everywhere in the city centre. I don't like them for the reason that I feel very uncomfortable around them. I watched two miserable wretches try to steal handbags from elderly women on Nassau street a few months back- it really made me sick to the core. The worst thing is they are all undoubtedly on state aid and receiving free methadone- has it worked? Of course not.

Pace2008

southsiderosie wrote: »

Would you see people shooting up in the middle of Picadilly Circus at 9am? Or on the Spanish Steps during the Sunday evening stroll? Train and bus stations are pretty sketchy no matter what city, but I have lived in Chicago, New York, Boston, DC, Miami, Madrid, and Dublin, and Dublin is by far the worst I have seen.

Possibly for heroin, but in many major European cities you will frequently be offered cocaine by street vendors if you're a young, white male, particularly in Spain. I haven't seen it concentrated in any one place a la the boardwalks on the quays, but it would not be unusual to be offered coke five times during a fairly short walk.

As bad as the drug problems are in DC - which was absolutely decimated by crack cocaine in the 1980s - you won't see people dealing in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Hell, you won't see it on 125th Street in Harlem these days.

It was not decimated by crack, it was brought to its knees by poverty. Crack was a symptom of this, not the cause, and while it certainly made matters worse it was still a scapegoat for deeper underlying problems.

You will always see an increase in the use of hard drugs during times of economic downturn, like the heroin problem in 1980s Dublin.

southsiderosie

Pace2008 wrote: »

Possibly for heroin, but in many major European cities you will frequently be offered cocaine by street vendors if you're a young, white male, particularly in Spain. I haven't seen it concentrated in any one place a la the boardwalks on the quays, but it would not be unusual to be offered coke five times during a fairly short walk.

When I lived in Madrid (at the edge of the city center), I knew exactly where I could buy cocaine or hash if I wished, but NOBODY would stand in front of the Prado or City Hall and sell, much less use. Yet I saw the equivalent in Ireland on a regular basis. Spain has the highest level of cocaine use in Europe, but sellers and users are not allowed to take over swathes of the city center, intimidating everyone else in the process.

Pace2008 wrote: »

It was not decimated by crack, it was brought to its knees by poverty. Crack was a symptom of this, not the cause, and while it certainly made matters worse it was still a scapegoat for deeper underlying problems.

You will always see an increase in the use of hard drugs during times of economic downturn, like the heroin problem in 1980s Dublin.

Inner-city ghettos of the US have always had poverty, and drugs have generally been present. But crack cocaine was completely different - there are now two completely lost generations of kids who are being raised by grandparents and great grandparents because their own parents have been lost to drugs, either through using or selling. And this is not to mention all of the developmental and behavioral problems from a generation of drug babies. In addition, the levels of drug-related violence grew exponentially. It's not just poverty that causes this - there are extremely poor pockets of the country where drugs are not present, and they don't have these kinds of problems.

Pace2008

southsiderosie wrote: »

When I lived in Madrid (at the edge of the city center), I knew exactly where I could buy cocaine or hash if I wished, but NOBODY would stand in front of the Prado or City Hall and sell, much less use. Yet I saw the equivalent in Ireland on a regular basis. Spain has the highest level of cocaine use in Europe, but sellers and users are not allowed to take over swathes of the city center, intimidating everyone else in the process.

I haven't been to Madrid, but it certainly happens in Barcelona. I said and you agree that that there aren't large congregations of dealers and users, rather the vendors work in 1's or 2's and are encountered fairly regularly along busy streets frequented by tourists, if not in the town centre. And whilst you may not find them as intimidating as gaggles of junkies, I did not find it especially pleasant being followed half way down the road by particularly persistent dealers, nor having one offering his wares while I was trying to buy chicken nuggets in McDonald's.

Are you a young white male?

Inner-city ghettos of the US have always had poverty, and drugs have generally been present. But crack cocaine was completely different - there are now two completely lost generations of kids who are being raised by grandparents and great grandparents because their own parents have been lost to drugs, either through using or selling. And this is not to mention all of the developmental and behavioral problems from a generation of drug babies. In addition, the levels of drug-related violence grew exponentially. It's not just poverty that causes this - there are extremely poor pockets of the country where drugs are not present, and they don't have these kinds of problems.

Yes, it completely exacerbates the problem, but it is still a symptom of poverty, people in deep holes digging inescapable ones for themselves. I doubt there is a crack epidemic in Spring Valley, nor a junkie plague in Ballsbridge.

southsiderosie

Pace2008 wrote: »

I haven't been to Madrid, but it certainly happens in Barcelona. I said and you agree that that there aren't large congregations of dealers and users, rather the vendors work in 1's or 2's and are encountered fairly regularly along busy streets frequented by tourists, if not in the town centre. And whilst you may not find them as intimidating as gaggles of junkies, I did not find it especially pleasant being followed half way down the road by particularly persistent dealers, nor having one offering his wares while I was trying to buy chicken nuggets in McDonald's.

Are you a young white male?

Are you talking about Las Ramblas/Raval, which is notorious for that kind of thing? The bottom of Las Ramblas has been a notorious red light district for ages. I'd consider Passeig de gracia more of Barcelona's main grand boulevard than the Rambla, especially with all of the problems in the Raval. I have no idea why this area is popular with tourists; I think it's awful.

That said, what in the world were you doing at McDonald's - in Barcelona of all places? :eek::p

And, no, I am not a young white male, I am a young bi-racial female with big boobs, so I get propositioned for different things while walking down the street.:rolleyes:

Finally, there is plenty of drug use in D4, but it doesn't take place in Supermacs bathrooms...And coke bunnies generally don't hover around harassing commuters at 9am.

username123

The number of junkies in Dublin city centre is definitely on the increase. Its not just in the city centre either. I have noticed an increase in junkies around suburban shopping areas also and the luas stop in Tallaght is like Dawn of the Dead.

I watched an interesting documentary on Youtube recently called The Junkie Diaries - about homeless junkies in Dublin. I dont have a lot of sympathy.

Pace2008

southsiderosie wrote: »

Are you talking about Las Ramblas/Raval, which is notorious for that kind of thing? The bottom of Las Ramblas has been a notorious red light district for ages. I'd consider Passeig de gracia more of Barcelona's main grand boulevard than the Rambla, especially with all of the problems in the Raval. I have no idea why this area is popular with tourists; I think it's awful.

It was more concentrated in some areas alright, but still pretty widespread in general and going on in some areas that didn't really seems dodgy. It's not the only city where I've seen open dealing like this either.

Obviously, none of this takes away from our heroin problem here (and I stress the word "heroin," people here are using "drugs" and "heroin" interchangeably when the problems they're describing seem solely related to opiates), but I thought it was worth mentioning because I've never seen this kind of drug pushing in our city centre.

That said, what in the world were you doing at McDonald's - in Barcelona of all places? :eek::p

Munchies

And, no, I am not a young white male, I am a young bi-racial female with big boobs, so I get propositioned for different things while walking down the street.:rolleyes:

Oddly and dishearteningly enough, I've never been propositioned for sexual acts by a male during my travels in Europe*, but that doesn't mean some people aren't.

Finally, there is plenty of drug use in D4, but it doesn't take place in Supermacs bathrooms...And coke bunnies generally don't hover around harassing commuters at 9am.

Aye, there's plenty of drug use in D4. Plenty of drug use where I live in Beaumont, and plenty of drug use when my mates and I get together for a party. It's mainly pills, booze, weed, speed, coke and the likes though. The use of ultra-addictive drugs like heroin and smokeable stimulants is largely reserved to disadvantaged areas.

*One of my mates was though, while he was in Amsterdam, by a middle-aged man in a nappy.

BraziliaNZ

southsiderosie wrote: »

That said, what in the world were you doing at McDonald's - in Barcelona of all places? :eek::p

You're far too classy for that carry on are you?

southsiderosie

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

You're far too classy for that carry on are you?

The food in Spain is so good - why get McNuggets when for the same price you can get a basket of almond-stuffed dates wrapped in bacon and flash fried? (Mmmmm...bacon...) Plus in Central and Southern Spain, they reward your drinking with free plates of olives or ham! Why buck the system?

Although I think my 'anti-McDonalds in Spain' sentiment is also fueled by the fact that the McDonalds by my house was the main hangout spot for teenagers from across Madrid after 5pm...And as anyone who has tried to make it across the Dublin city center in the summertime will tell you, there are no more annoying people on earth than packs of Spanish teenagers...well except maybe the dealers and junkie clusters.

Birneybau

southsiderosie wrote: »

And, no, I am not a young white male, I am a young bi-racial female with big boobs, so I get propositioned for different things while walking down the street.:rolleyes:

You had me at "And, no".

Rosie wins!

evercloserunion

southsiderosie wrote: »

The food in Spain is so good - why get McNuggets when for the same price you can get a basket of almond-stuffed dates wrapped in bacon and flash fried? (Mmmmm...bacon...) Plus in Central and Southern Spain, they reward your drinking with free plates of olives or ham! Why buck the system?

Although I think my 'anti-McDonalds in Spain' sentiment is also fueled by the fact that the McDonalds by my house was the main hangout spot for teenagers from across Madrid after 5pm...And as anyone who has tried to make it across the Dublin city center in the summertime will tell you, there are no more annoying people on earth than packs of Spanish teenagers...well except maybe the dealers and junkie clusters.

Spanish teenagers are far more annoying than junkies.

Degsy

username123 wrote: »

I watched an interesting documentary on Youtube recently called The Junkie Diaries - about homeless junkies in Dublin. I dont have a lot of sympathy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzJjDYdELbs

Its absolutely DIRE..that interviewer putting on his bets Dubalin accent and displaying his utter lack of knowledge on the subject:
"So would ya be smokin it or chasin it or wha"?
'Smoking it'
"So spliffwise or chasin it"?

Spliffwise??What an utter tool.

He also talks about "mainlining" and "scag"

Then he asks a junkie how much is a "tag"..yer man says "A what?"..he then says "A bag..how much is a bag"...making up his own slang to sound cool.

A cretin.

evercloserunion

Degsy wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzJjDYdELbs

Its absolutely DIRE..that interviewer putting on his bets Dubalin accent and displaying his utter lack of knowledge on the subject:
"So would ya be smokin it or chasin it or wha"?
'Smoking it'
"So spliffwise or chasin it"?

Spliffwise??What an utter tool.

He also talks about "mainlining" and "scag"

Then he asks a junkie how much is a "tag"..yer man says "A what?"..he then says "A bag..how much is a bag"...making up his own slang to sound cool.

A cretin.

Lol. Reminds me of this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGntt08OXzc

Love_Game

Was walking down Thomas Street last night at 12.30am, saw two junkies rushing down the road to the dealer waiting for them. The sicking thing? They had a baby who I say was around 6 months in a buggy and two Gardai across the road who saw everything but decided to turn a blind eye and keep on walking.

Esel

^ Probably ran out of 'formula' for the baby.....

The probable reason they both went to score was that one wouldn't trust the other to come back to the gaff with the gear. Would you?

Love_Game

esel wrote: »

^ Probably ran out of 'formula' for the baby.....

The probable reason they both went to score was that one wouldn't trust the other to come back to the gaff with the gear. Would you?

Haha I never thought of it like that, but I suppose not. I pity the baby though

gollem_1975

Degsy wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzJjDYdELbs

Its absolutely DIRE..that interviewer putting on his bets Dubalin accent and displaying his utter lack of knowledge on the subject:
"So would ya be smokin it or chasin it or wha"?
'Smoking it'
"So spliffwise or chasin it"?

Spliffwise??What an utter tool.

He also talks about "mainlining" and "scag"

Then he asks a junkie how much is a "tag"..yer man says "A what?"..he then says "A bag..how much is a bag"...making up his own slang to sound cool.

A cretin.

I think the video was useful.

Its as good as any stuff you would see on prime time, though to be honest it could be edited better.

its an amateur production with no budget. the guy who made it just went out one day and did it.
he's not an expert on this particular issue but he can often be heard speaking on issues such as Nama and the deficit on Radio one and newstalk and his accent sounds the exact same as it does on the radio.

Degsy

gollem_1975 wrote: »

I think the video was useful.

Its as good as any stuff you would see on prime time, though to be honest it could be edited better.

its an amateur production with no budget. the guy who made it just went out one day and did it.
.

How was the video usefull??The reasons for homlessness and drug addiction have been tackled a thousand times and a thousand times better..even hat-wearing Paddy O'Gorman did several programmes about heroin addicts without using a 1960's lexicon of drug terms to get them to talk to him..with far greater sucess i might add.

gollem_1975 wrote: »

he's not an expert on this particular issue but he can often be heard speaking on issues such as Nama and the deficit on Radio one and newstalk and his accent sounds the exact same as it does on the radio

Well i hope he doesnt sound as uninformed,patronising and downright annoying as he did in that "production"..and lets hope that if he's speaking on issues such as the "deficit" and NAMA he is at least more up to date on the situation than he was in that piece.

Rubbish journalism is everywhere.

gollem_1975

Degsy wrote: »

How was the video usefull??The reasons for homlessness and drug addiction have been tackled a thousand times and a thousand times better..even hat-wearing Paddy O'Gorman did several programmes about heroin addicts without using a 1960's lexicon of drug terms to get them to talk to him..with far greater sucess i might add.




Well i hope he doesnt sound as uninformed,patronising and downright annoying as he did in that "production"..and lets hope that if he's speaking on issues such as the "deficit" and NAMA he is at least more up to date on the situation than he was in that piece.

Rubbish journalism is everywhere.

I found it useful because I haven't seen all those thousands of other programs and found that it humanised the people he was interviewing. they are all someones son ( mainly seem to be men affected - why is that I wonder )
the "Tag" guy , If I saw him on the street I would not have thought he was a junkie/homeless person at all.

The guy who did the video is called Karl Deeter.

I can't say objectively if he does or doesn't sound uninformed,patronising and downright annoying , Its all subjective , some people might find your posts to be uninformed,patronising and downright annoying whilst some might think your posts are useful.

Gummy Panda

Does anyone else notice Junkiees buying small cartons of milk in spars/centras?

I was on O'Connell street Thursday night and was buying stuff in the londis and spar. I noticed about 3-4 junkiees separately come in and buy pint cartons of milk. The plastic bottle ones.

By the look of them, I don't think they could stomach much milk so is there some other reason they bought those cartons?