W2B-017 Drugs - Child abuse-0.txt
Chasing the Dragon

Heroin has once again exploded onto the streets of the capital. TS O'Rourke talks to one addict about his love of drugs and the problems of kicking the habit. We also report on a community that is fighting back and hear the opinions of on youngster who has already seen the devasting effects of drugs at age 13.

JOHNNY (an alias) is in his late twenties and has been a heroin user for over eleven years. His somewhat gaunt and menacing appearance is the result of some hard times.

I met Johnny in a central Dublin pub, where we talked for an hour over a quiet pint. Explaining that he was just on his way up to Sean McDermott Street in order to buy some heroin, he said he would be back in a few minutes. He left, anxious yet smiling.

Fifteen minutes later, Johnny returned having purchased two 'Q' (quarter-gram) bags of heroin from a young man on a bicycle, who was doing a roaring trade. Showing me the two little parcels of heroin, Johnny explained: "There's loads of dealers in Sean McDermott Street, and if you know who to look for, you can get gear in a few minutes." He then proceeded to go into the gents'toilets, from where he emerged a little later, having smoked one of the two deals. The pub's clientele were completely oblivious.

This is nothing new to Johnny, who was first tempted to inject heroin by friends in Dolphin's Barn. Less than a month later he was addicted, having used the drug on an almost-daily basis.

He continues to use heroin because of what it does for him. "You get an amazing feeling of well-being, and you don't have any worries. Most other drugs have an uplifting effect - this is more of a mellow feeling. Everything feels great and you don't care about anything."

As you might have guessed, Johnny has paid for his addiction. Convicted four times, he has spent time in Dublin's Mountjoy Prison. "I 've been convicted of robbery with violence and selling drugs to get money." A heroin habit is extremely expensive, and Johnny got his money for drugs "basically by breaking into houses, stealing videos, robbing garages, mugging people and armed robbery."

"I didn't care where the money came from."

Speaking of his time spent in Mountjoy, he said: "Mountjoy is a dump - you wouldn't put a pig in the place. You 're only allowed out for six hours during the day - it's not a nice place to be." However, drugs are readily available, and Johnny admits that they help you to do your time. Apparently you can get anything you want in Mountjoy. "There are various ways of smuggling drugs into Mountjoy - the security there is very lax - and a lot of the screws turn a blind eye to it."

Despite widespread knowledge that the HIV virus can be transmitted through sharing syringes, addicts in Mountjoy continue to share their 'works' with one another, with up to 30 people using one syringe. "Mainly it's injected by prisoners in the toilets or in the recreation area - you 'd see up to ten people in a cubicle using the one syringe. If you 're in the grips of a drug, you don't care what way it comes."

As prisoners are only subjected to a strip search - and not a cavity search - smuggling drugs in is not a problem. For many prisoners, repeated court appearances can be lucrative, as friends or relatives pass heroin packages to them, which they can either use or sell once they return to the prison.

The best way to hide heroin is in your mouth, according to Johnny. "The Garda&/i can't force you to open your mouth - they can only search your clothes - so it's easy. I 've been stopped a few times and searched by the police with heroin in my mouth."

The importation of heroin, although illegal, continues daily. Using couriers, the drug bosses import at least 20 to 30 ounces a week. Couriers are usually paid in drugs. "There's great profit to be made - they bring in 60 per cent pure heroin, but by the time it gets onto the streets it's only about 20 per cent pure." Heroin is regularly cut with such innocuous substances as quinine or milk sugar, decreasing the purity and increasing the profit margin.

Recently, users have taken to smoking the drug ("chasing the dragon") in an attempt to avoid contracting the HIV virus through intravenous use.

According to many sources, the purity of the drug has almost doubled recently, and the price has also dropped. This, Johnny believes, is to lure back users by giving them a better hit while smoking it. Unfortunately, this has also led to an increased chance of accidental overdose for those unused to such pure heroin.

As we were taking the accompanying photographs, a Garda sergeant walked right past, apparently oblivious to the presence of the drugs. Johnny said: "Most people would be very surprised at how easily available heroin is in Dublin." Commenting on the success rate of the Garda&/i, Johnny said: "They are fighting a losing battle. They only seize about 2 per cent of the total amount imported, and there's too much money involved for the drugs bosses to give it up."

Johnny is only one of over 5000 reported heroin addicts in Ireland. The Aruppe Society - who do work with homeless young people - estimates these addicts are responsible for over two-thirds of Ireland's crime.
