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CONCERN HAS BEEN raised over two apparent new drug trends in Dublin.
An increase in paraphernalia used to smoke crack-cocaine has been found in areas frequented by habitual drug users in the city.
There have also been reports to drug service workers of an increase in use of a type of synthetic cannabis – known on the streets as ‘moonshine’.
Laneways
Needles and other items used when injecting heroin can be found littered in laneways and backstreets all over the city; staff at one tiny city centre park told TheJournal.ie earlier this year that up to 6,000 needles were found just inside the grounds of that green area.
Amongst the needles, tinfoil and alcohol wipes, there has been a rise in makeshift crack pipes being found. The photos below were all found discarded in areas where people are known to use drugs chaotically:
Crack cocaine is a smokeable form of cocaine made by chemically altering cocaine powder to form crystals or rocks. It can quickly become both physically and psychologically addictive.
‘Moonshine’
In tandem with the apparent increased use of crack cocaine, drug workers also started receiving reports of a drug described to them as “homemade cannabis” in recent months.
One person reported that people they knew who smoked it were “out of their heads”.
The drug is referred to on the streets as ’moonshine’ – essentially synthetic cannabinoids sold in rock form. The rocks are sprayed with the synthetic cannabinoid and then with a solvent, and then smoked.
“We would be concerned about people who smoke moonshine (synthetic cannabinoids) and/or crack,” said Tony Duffin of the Ana Liffey Drug Project.
There is a wide variety of different drugs available on the streets of Dublin. Unfortunately, due to the cocktail of licit, illicit and unknown drugs, some people are taking, it is often a challenge to engage with those people due to their state of mind or erratic behaviour.
However, it is important to maintain contact with people who use drugs chaotically on the streets of our capital. That engagement is the foundation of life saving interventions and the bedrock for positive changes for those very isolated people.
The Ana Liffey Drug Project, which works with drug users and people who are homeless, will mark its 35th year in operation in 2017.
“Our work is as important as ever,” Duffin said. ”We will continue to work with all our partner agencies to help people who have complex and multiple needs.”
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‘Nation is a thorn in Company’s side’. That is a scary headline when you think of it.
When will Facebook get their own Private Military Force I wonder?
I’d imagine they’ve intelligence gathering capabilities to put most governments to shame.
And we happily give it that information out.
Imagine if “the government” told us it was now the law that we had to give all that personal data, and carry it around on a tracking device.
We would have all the lefties AND righties screaming blue murder.
Bill you can leave Facebook any time you’d like and that’s the end of their ability to track you, I’m not sure Government enforced tracking is even remotely similar.
Not true, you don’t have to use Facebook to be tracked by it.
All the bleaters who give out about the state and big brother watching you…all overlooking Facebook, Google Apple etcetc
Are you ok Huns?
Pm’d you there hun xoxoxo
Like if you cried
Wasn’t Merkel snuggling up to Facebook in an attempt to control what Germans were saying about her folly In inviting the Middle East , North Africa and Asia to come live in Europe , I wonder did they do what they were told ?
At the same time German exports are on a massive high, unlike us, the French and the rest of EU. Go figure.
It’s possible to be over reliant on exports though. Leaves you very exposed if the world economy takes a dump. It’s a very fine balance.
Facebook is a free service from the user perspective that allows you to do a great deal. If it didn’t exist you’d have to invent it. If you want to use a free service then you have to expect a quid pro quo. What is required is that companies such as Facebook are clear about the quid pro who.
There is a huge capacity to tweak your privacy settings on Facebook if you can be bothered to do so. The problem is that many users are not bothered.
The Germans have never been happy with companies like Facebook and Google who use their users’ data to provide what is essentially a commercial service. Apple do not use their user’s data to provide their services. They don’t need to. Their commercial model is different. Horses for courses.
The competition angle is highly contrived. What the Germans resent is that under EU law they are not in exclusive control of Facebook’s activities on their territory. They bitterly resent the notion that a little country like Ireland has such control because the EU HQ of Facebook is here. Strangely enough they have no problem with other aspects of EU law which have opened up internal EU markets to their industries. Like most large States the Germans are hypocrites.
It is easy to criticise Facebook but they have come a long way as has Google in terms of transparency of data use. Continued oversight is needed. But people have to take the time to protect their privacy on-line. Many do not.
Here’s the thing. Don’t like like how Facebook operates… Dont use it. Simple Don’t use a free service voluntarily and then complain about it
“…und das ist all you’ll ever be..”
Facebook’s problem is has to take a side in this freedom of speech debate, look at Twitter who have done the same thing. Twitters user based has dropped along with its share price since it started attacking freedom of speech of some of its users. Any social network platform that takes the wrong side will find to its cost it was an awful business decision.
Agree John.
Germans have bad experience of being spied on the East German Stassi for instance
http://www.mtv.com/news/2723688/germany-twitter-facebook-google-deal-hate-speech-refugees-migrants-muslims/
http://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-faces-antitrust-investigation-in-germany-1456920796
there is huge pressure put on the likes of FB, Google etc by outside international political bodies like the UN Migration dept, EU commision etc. to censor all anti migrant speech and collect data on every one. From the stazi era i germany the average middle aged german is rightly concerned by the incremental erosion of their privacy and the censorship of things disliked by those at the top.
What is happening there now is a semi grassroots reaction to this led by worried german civil servants and concerned politicians. Merkel is all on board with the soviet era top down east german control.
have your say