Ministers of the Council at the sectoral meeting on the Misuse of Drugs, Dublin, March 2002 - Click to Enlarge

Misuse of Drugs

Lead Administration – Ireland

Tackling the misuse of drugs is a challenge for all British-Irish Council administrations. Ireland takes responsibility for advancing co-operation in this area within the Council.

Ministers discussed the challenges presented by cocaine use when they last met in Belfast in December 2006. Ministers found that similar issues arose in relation to cocaine in each administration but that the problem was at various stages of development in the different jurisdictions. They agreed that cocaine is a significant issue and requires a high priority in administrations to tackle supply and demand factors and that there was much they could learn from each others’ experiences. The Ministers resolved to continue to cooperate and exchange experiences, with particular emphasis on initiatives that have led to successful outcomes and that may lend themselves to broader application in other administrations. They also agreed on the work programme for 2007.

This work programme is focusing on the following areas:
• homelessness and drug use,
• drugs strategy development;
• enhanced focus on information provision in drug and alcohol strategies;
• integrated substance misuse assessment methods.

Background

The BIC Summit in Dublin on 30 November 2001 focussed on the challenges associated with the misuse of drugs. The summit agreed a framework for future BIC co-operation focusing on the two key areas of demand reduction (incorporating prevention and treatment) and supply reduction (incorporating law enforcement).

Since the summit, a number of issues have been addressed including the following:
• targeting the proceeds of drugs trafficking
• training and employment issues for recovering drug misusers,
• youth diversionary programmes,
• drug awareness campaigns,
• emerging trends in drug misuse and treatment modalities
• business support for anti-drug strategies.
• conducting confidential enquiries into drug-related deaths
• effects of substance misuse on children
• formal and informal education for young people
• rehabilitation
• Drug and alcohol arrest referral schemes
• commissioning drug treatment services
• the use of subutex as a substitute for opiate misusers

Click here to view the Communiqués issued following the Summit and the Ministerial meetings on the subject of the Misuse of Drugs