Crack cocaine in the Dublin region - Health Research Board

So, debt is another significant issue, and it’s the kind of from what I’ve seen the debt is nevercleared you know. Again typical of what we’re seeing is 6 or 700 pounds’ worth. You knowthat’s paid back and it’s run straight back up again. And it’s kind of like a loop system, youknow. We’ve had parents that maybe would bail their kids out once or twice, and then they’reactually coming up and saying the same thing. Six hundred quid, they need it or the house isgoing to be shattered. And I think a couple of parents are just, they’ve put the kids out.Clondalkin, drug-treatment service (September 2007)7.5 Crack in the communityAs Section 3 indicates, at present, the primary market for crack in Dublin is located in ashopping district in the north-inner city. A number of dealers were reportedly based inthis area; a proportion of these would deal openly to buyers.Ah yeah. Like, I was down on M… Street in May this year and I must have been asked threeor four times was I looking for crack, was I looking for rocks. Whereas before you had toknow where you were going, you had to know who to ask but they were openly asking wereyou looking for rocks.Former crack user, unspecified location (October 2007)I started going into town, up around M… Street like you’d be walking up M… Street and twoor three black fellas would stop you before you got from one end to another ’Are you lookingfor white?’north-east Dublin, drug-treatment service (September 2007)The impact of this street market on the commercial activities of the area was notinvestigated by this study. Outside of this commercial area, only a small number ofcrack-dealing sites were referred to, perhaps because many transactions may beorganised using mobile phones. However, one treatment service reported that theirlocality was attracting people from outside the area who were looking to purchasecrack. The areas in which this activity was occurring were described as intimidating,but were already established as local markets for other drugs.It’s actually quite intimidating, if you went up there about 9 o’clock, 10 o’clock at nightnow, you’re talking about … you might see anything from 3 people to 60 people all standingbasically together, on the two blocks on the steps, and … put it this way if you’re going upthere, you either live there, unfortunately, or else you’re going up there for one reason oranother. You know. Yeah I don’t think it’s [crack] as widely spread as people think it is youknow. There’s basically two spots, [deleted place name] and then [deleted place name], andthey’re the only places that really are … obviously there are other spots that I’d know ofaround here that are selling different types of drugs but generally the two spots are just aboutcrack you know.Ballymun, drug-treatment service (December 2007)Crack cocaine in the Dublin region: an evidence base for a crack cocaine strategy83