Five more areas to get drugs training
By John Maher, Drugs and Crime Correspondent

An education programme which teaches people how to
respond to drug addiction in their communities is to spread
from Ballymun to five other areas of Dublin next month.

Set up by the Urr·s project in Ballymun, and funded by the EU
and the Eastern Health Board, it is to be taught in Tallaght,
Crumlin, Finglas, Dundrum and Dun Laoghaire.

The Minister of State responsible for coordinating
Government antidrug initiatives, Mr Chris Flood TD, said
yesterday that the growth of the scheme will help more
community leaders to take a role in directing efforts to tackle
the drugs crisis in their areas.

"There's a lot more confidence within communities themselves
at how they're beginning to get a say in tackling the problem in
their own areas, from the point of view of drug treatment and
education," he said.

In Ballymun yesterday, Mr Flood presented certificates from
the National Council for Vocational Awards to the latest
graduates of the 20week course. Some of the 100 people
who have done the course since it was set up four years ago
have gone on to help establish treatment and education
programmes in their areas, while others use the training when
other social work brings them into contact with drug addicts,
says Mr John Adams of Urr·s.

"The positive results are now bearing fruit in the community, as
people have a better understanding of the complexity of
addiction and are now skilled in how to respond more
effectively," he said.

Mr Flood said the Government was committed to spending
ú14 million set aside by the last government to fund community
initiatives in 12 taskforce areas, mainly in Dublin. About half of
the money has already been allocated to implement drug
treatment and related schemes, he said, and the rest was
available for the second phase of the taskforce programme,
which would concentrate on local education initiatives aimed at
the prevention of drug abuse.

_ Copyright: The Irish Times