Clontarf protest at head shop

by Conor. M Tue Mar 30, 2010 19:35

This is insane.

Criminals (I'm presuming) attack head-shops because dealers business is not so good. The government reacts by announcing that it is planning on shutting down these 'head shops' by banning the drugs being sold there.

So the government is planning on driving the whole 'business' underground, thus criminalising addicts and giving the trade back to criminals.

We need a plan, not a ban

2+2=5

by mike Tue Mar 30, 2010 21:29

If it was residents of Summerhill doing it against a shop that had opened up in their neighbourhood, would you be saying the same thing?

by Joe Tue Mar 30, 2010 23:17

Joe Costello "no deaths due to head shops in Ireland so far"

General Mortality Register "A total of 1,775 people died as a result of problem alcohol use between 1995 and 2004"

I do like the yummy mummy chanting segment

by hydroponic john Thu Apr 01, 2010 12:56

A high ranking member of my local Labour Party who's a relation of mine is always moaning at me to get him a bit of weed . Don't tell anyone though he always says .Never wants to pay anything thing for it either . Next time I'll tell him to fuck off

by Sunshine Band - Drug Equality Alliance Thu Apr 01, 2010 15:15 darryl at drugequality dot org

It's funny the way they describe legal activity as a legal-loophole. Rather silly what the guys were saying about attracting trouble-makers. If that was a concern they should shut down all the pubs first. Frankly this looks like harassment of a legal business, and the council and police should take action if these protests continue.

by V for vendetta Thu Apr 01, 2010 18:53

because the local criminals are losing money hand over fist. and we can't have that can we? Lets just be irish and sweep it all under the carpet like abortion.

And after all we'd all prefer our kids to have to go to those criminal guys to get their drugs (probably cut with god knows what poisonous shite) rather than going to a shop in plain sight that pays taxes and can be regulated. taxes that could be used to provide proper rehabilitation facilities etc.

I think the head shops have done more to cut down the drug barons profits and put them out of business than 20 years of corrupt policing and government policy!!

Maybe thats the problem. Payoffs could be drying up a bit recently!!

by John Fri Apr 02, 2010 11:21

Respond to this Labour party and dissident republicans.
In all this fuss no-one thinks to look a bit deeper at the underlying despair and unhappiness that lead people to take drugs and alcohol, legal or illegal in the first place?
This country has a major drug problem and if you are serious about tackling it as opposed to winning a bit of cheap political mileage or perhaps protecting income you need to look at why we are so vulnerable to it.
The government recently brought down the price of alcohol in order to facilitate us drinking ourselves into oblivion as a way to escape from our despair at the economic situation. If head shops are criminal then that act was a war crime and these protests are at best a knee jerk reaction, at worst deeply cynical and hypocritical. Go and protest outside off licences and breweries if yr so upset, go for the big game.
I bet you won't.

by dudette Sat May 15, 2010 10:09

I have an issue with people waffling on about how drink causes so much this and that and how come nobody says anything about it. The difference with these legal (or now illegal) highs is that after smoking them once or what ever else you do with them, they MAY have a serious effect on your mental health, ie schizophrenia or depersonalisation, extreme states of anxiety. Worst case scenario with drink, you get a serious hangover but you will be able to function again as your usual self in a couple of days....presuming, you don't walk out under a bus, see if you can fly, or get into a fight with some block head who likes to kick people's heads in for fun.

Another interesting point i read is that illegal forms of hash etc, have anti-psychotic properties while these synthetic substances do not, so they are actually much more damaging.

Stick that in your bong and smoke it!

by Vincent Sun May 16, 2010 09:40

You can apply all the remarks you made about legal highs (now illegal) to alcohol. The biggest problem we have in Ireland is denial. You also forget to mention the psychotic drug being handed out like sweets by doctors to cope with the depressing state of our sovereign republic. Mental health came on the scene gradually, as if it was a real concern. The state had been incarcerating Irish people into mental institutions as Guiney pigs for the psychiatry industry which has no regulation for the last 80 years. And you didn't have to be qualified to sign anyone in; you just signed them in regardless of who you were as long as you signed. The HSE is now looking to incarcerate children into their care so they can be pumped up with drugs they deem worthy to sort the problem, trouble is, that there as so many drugs to chose from you will be passed from one to the other to find one that works for you, the victim has no choice. The metal health issue is of serious concern to the Irish people. The EU government based in Dáil Eíreann pride themselves for employment gained by massive pharmaceutical companies that have set up here producing these drugs for world wide consumption. We also hear of the backup from the Medical colleges that these drugs do not have psychotic effects.
Wake up; we live in a drug infested country.