Headshop products undermine drug users' rehab efforts

"Headshops are worrying," Chief Executive of Merchants Quay Ireland Tony Geoghegan told councillors at Monday's meeting of Athlone Town Council. Antoinette Kinsella of the Midlands Regional Drugs Taskforce gave a presentation to the councillors on the work of the taskforce, of which Mr Geoghegan is also a member. During a lengthy discussion on the issue Cllr Paul Hogan asked if headshops were undermining the work of the taskforce and asked if they were a worrying development. "Headshops are worrying," said Mr Geoghegan. "They undermine the work that goes on. There are people who have been stabilised in treatment who are being undermined by headshops because they are legal." Mr Geoghegan also informed the councillors that there are people in Dublin injecting substances that they buy in headshops and said the 'bath salts' sold in these shops are particularLU popular for this."Until we have legislation it will remain a problem," said Mr Geoghegan. Ms Kinsella told the councillors that there are people on methadone who are also using these legal products, which is creating other problems. Mayor Mark Cooney queried if products such as these would show up in the urine samples given by people on methadone who are obliged to undergo urine analysis. Mr Geoghegan said they do show up in urine analysis, but explained that most of these products belong to the amphetamine family and generally urine analysis are screening for very specific drugs as to have a wider test would be too costly. Cllr Alan Shaw said: "In relation to headshops we are in a shocking situation where the Government is collecting taxes from the sale of these legal substances, but on the other hand has to fund organisations such as yourselves." Ms Kinsella said the issue of headshops had really exploded in the past six months and said the whole issue surrounding tax and VAT was raised at the national drugs conference held in Mullingar last week. "No answer was given at the time. We're just as frustrated as you are, we can only wait. We have been told by the Department they are looking at the various products," she said.Cllr Gabrielle McFadden said the only time the Minister seemed to take the headshop issue on board was after it came up on the Joe Duffy show and said there was something very wrong with the Government if Joe Duffy determined the agenda. The issue came up later in the meeting as Cllr Alan Shaw had tabled a motion asking that the council write to Minister John Curran calling on him to regulate the sale and supply of new drug substances by headshops. Cllr Shaw agreed with Mayor Cooney that the matter had been discussed at length and refrained from speaking further on the matter as all of the councillors were in agreement that they should write to the Minister. However, Cllr Kevin 'Boxer' Moran said the councillors should discuss what they could do and suggested they ban headshops in the Town Development Plan. Director of Services Barry Kehoe said: "I don't think we can. We give permission for a shop and a shop can sell anything that's legal." Cllr Moran said it was something that should be looked at. Town Clerk John Walsh said a shop is defined in the planning acts and the planning acts would take precedence over anything the council put into the development plan. Cllr Moran said: "I think you're wrong Town Clerk." Cllr Kieran Molloy said surely if it was as simple as that the Minister would have done something about it. Cllr Jim Henson said: "It'd be great if we could do something with planning. Surely they could come up with something to ban dangerous substances. We need to change the legislation, its our TDs' jobs to do that."