Increase in addicts on city streets?

Gjhbnmk

I hope this post doesn't come across as insensitive but has anyone else noticed an increase in the amount of people with likely alcohol/drug issues in the city centre? I thought maybe a new addition centre may have opened or something? I witnessed two separate people in the last 24 hours who were completely out of their minds on something, and several others since December.

ArtyC

Heroin use is rife. Certain parks , car parks etc are awash with old tin foil, spoons and needles .

Think we always had weekend drug users but in the last two years living in city Centre has become harder with serious addicts

inisboffin

It's gotten worse everywhere in Ireland and I think we are seeing a reflection of that here.

JCX BXC

Still has nothing on other towns/cities in Ireland.

Andrew00

It's gotten bad in Galway over the past 2 or 3 years there's no doubt about it.

skinny90

They used to beg the streets in Galway, walk out towards wood quay to meet their dealer and get their fix in the multi story carpark near Lidl and Argos. Now they are straight up shooting in middle of town. its the same familiar faces + a few more

_Whimsical_

Theres a piece in the Irish Times about the drug problem in Galway. They're considering drug testing in schools here. It's focused on cocaine and hash but I'm sure it's more wideranging. We can probably look forward to some next level criminality from rivaling gangs in time if this continues.

A HSE addiction specialist has described the drug problem in Galway as the worst he had seen in his 28 years working in addiction services in Ireland, the UK and Australia.

Speaking about the use of cocaine at a Co Galway Joint Policing Committee (JPC) meeting on Monday, HSE clinical specialist in addiction Joe Treacy, said “it’s not snowing in Galway, there is a blizzard”.

He said recent screenings of drug users in the county revealed cocaine with a potency of up to 94 per cent and a strain of Moroccan cannabis with previously unseen levels of THC (the main psychoactive compound in the drug).

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/cocaine-it-s-not-snowing-in-galway-there-is-a-blizzard-meeting-told-1.4160585

inisboffin

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Theres a piece in the Irish Times about the drug problem in Galway. They're considering drug testing in schools here. It's focused on cocaine and hash but I'm sure it's more wideranging. We can probably look forward to some next level criminality from rivaling gangs in time if this continues.

I think what people are 'seeing' is way more connected to heroin and perhaps some amphetamines than other drugs.
Coke and hash/any cannabis, although very different to each other, are drugs with use signs often misread to be alcohol and vice versa. I'd be cautious of anything that lumps everything together effect and solution wise.

_Whimsical_

inisboffin wrote: »

I think what people are 'seeing' is way more connected to heroin and perhaps some amphetamines than other drugs.
Coke and hash/any cannabis, although very different to each other, are drugs with use signs often misread to be alcohol and vice versa. I'd be cautious of anything that lumps everything together effect and solution wise.

I agree, I was not suggesting there was a similar solution. I was just making the point that the drugs problem here is increasing across the board and as well as the issues that came with heroin use we'll soon be seeing bigger scale criminality associated with bigger drugs gangs.

pure.conya

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Theres a piece in the Irish Times about the drug problem in Galway. They're considering drug testing in schools here. It's focused on cocaine and hash but I'm sure it's more wideranging. We can probably look forward to some next level criminality from rivaling gangs in time if this continues.

its time they should have metal detectors to catch weapons too, so many teenage gangs out there now and if they're let reign free from any consequences well then they're going to be funkin nuts when they grow older