Crack cocaine in the Dublin region - Health Research Board

11.2 Responding to crack markets and crack-related crimeAlthough the city-centre location remains a key market for crack cocaine, all of theindicators used in this study point to a gradual spread of crack use throughout allLocal Drugs Task Force areas in the Dublin region. A number of factors may accountfor the emergence and increased availability of crack use. These include the increasedavailability of cocaine, and the involvement in the Irish drug market of non-Irishnationals who possibly have access to cocaine supply routes in West Africa and whoalso have the expertise in preparing crack cocaine. In addition, there is increaseddemand for crack from opiate users, some of whom may have previously used crackcocaine in the UK. This study provides evidence that Irish nationals have acquired theskills to prepare crack cocaine. However, the stigma associated with crack cocaineuse, coupled with its high price, appear to act as disincentives to growth in the spreadof its use. Given the demand for illicit drugs, and given the challenges faced by lawenforcement agencies in policing a largely hidden trade, reducing the supply andavailability of illicit drugs remains a difficult objective.There needs to be debate about the overall objective of law enforcement in thisarea. The relationship between supply reduction, demand reduction and harmreduction needs to be further conceptualised. Given the establishment of joint policingcommittees and local policing fora under the terms of the Garda Síochána Act, 2005and the National Drugs Strategy, the development of partnership-based approaches tocrack markets and crack-related crime can be progressed. A number of specific issuesarise from this study:• As drug markets consolidate over time, the challenges faced by law-enforcementagencies also intensify. However, it is argued in the international literature thatlaw - enforcement agencies could play an important role in intervening at theearly stage of a new market. For example, intensive policing and disruptionof open markets and so-called crack houses is an achievable goal. However,tackling the crack houses problem would require the gardaí, local authorities,private landlords and social services to work in collaboration with each other.• Evidence from in-depth interviews with crack users suggests that dealers aretargeting people in the vicinity of drug-treatment clinics. The policing of thisactivity is a sensitive issue because the presence of gardaí could deter drugusers from accessing such clinics. The need for an effective partnership responseto address this problem is highlighted, as is the need for treatment services toreport dealing activity in the vicinity of clinics, and the need for gardaí to respondquickly but in such a way that is sensitive to the importance of retaining usersin treatment. Drug dealing in such locations can be extremely detrimental totreatment approaches.112 Crack cocaine in the Dublin region: an evidence base for a crack cocaine strategy