A Galway City Councillor has called for a safe injection centre in Galway city for people with drug addiction.
Social Democrats Cllr Owen Hanley made the comments at the latest meeting of the Joint Policing Committee, where he said a new culture of treating drug use and abuse is needed.
The new centre would act as a safe location for people with drug addiction to have sterilised needles to prevent medical complications and also offer the guidance needed to quit in an understanding environment.
Speaking to Galway Daily the Councillor said: “Our whole system with dealing with the prevalence of drug use in Galway today isn’t working.
“Not only is the quantity of drugs expanding at a huge rate but the strength of the drugs commonly used today is intensifying.
“On any given night there’s a massive range of drugs on use, some with marginal affects but some with some very serious implications to peoples lives.”
Cllr Hanley said that what we need to see is a holistic approach that addresses the underlying conditions of drug abuse.
“Nationally we need to see a programme of work that brings in mental health, socio-economic, culture and recreational, and policing aspects together for a comprehensive guidebook going forward.
“In my view we need to stop punishing addiction and start treating it. If we decriminalised personal possession we could see resources that are being spent on recreational amount of lighter drugs being spent on assisting those with serious addictions.”
