Texts and emails, Wednesday 28 April 2010

Topic: Headshops should drugs be decriminalised?
Guests: Aengus O’Snodaigh, Olaf Tyaransen, Fiona O’Reilly, Marion McKeon and Niall Hatch

I am working with teenagers who have recently having been taking these legal drugs. Their behaviour has been totally outrageous and dangerous since taking these drugs. These shops should be banned. They are totally unsafe and destroying our young people. I really cant believe these shops are legal.
Rebecca

Like gambling casinos Headshops need regulation.. Appears to be a vested interest is protecting them.
Anne Ryan. KILKENNY

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I don't agree with the powders but I don't see a problem with the smoke. I smoke joints myself but I don't drink and I never get into confrontations with anybody and I don't go out and cause trouble. There are more pressing issues going on in the country at the moment.
Jordan
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The head shops are only under pricing the drug dealers on the streets.
Mike Limerick.
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The panel are missin the point.Its not about headshops,its about our culture.If its not drink, its drugs,its where we as a country have ended up due to people in power with their head up their arses leading us up the garden path rather then leading us forward.
Dave Waterford.
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I think head shops and the money for gold should be banned because its a big scam. Kids break in to houses and rob jewlery for leagal highs.
Ian
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Nama should take over the head shops,it might help the country out of the resession.
Patrick Carlow
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Banning headshops is the unsurprising knee-jerk reaction of the uninformed fear-mongering politicians. The same people who allow the daytime advertising of the societally damaging drug - alcohol. We need a psycho-active substance policy based on information, education, and the reality that curious people are always going to want to experiment with their consciousness. No authority should deny informed adults this fundamental human and spiritual right. Regulation Not Prohibition
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All drugs must be banned. But to do that we need a proper minister for justice in place who is not afraid of the criminals who are presently giving the minister the two finger sign.
Tom Tipperary
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I wouldn't expect yourself vincent or your panel to understand the problem because your not out in the night clubs seeing the problem. Methadrone has become an epidemic mainly because there is no stigma attached to it so people who would never have gone near drugs are taking these, and it ranges through all social classes! If it wasn't becoming such an epidemic the head shops would not be gettin burned out whether that be vigilante or drug dealer related. Also there is side affects to all drugs leagal and illegal to say that these are worse then some approved drugs is wrong. I use to take ritilan and it was way worse then anything i have ever bought out of a head shop!
CJ
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I'm a 43 year old head shop user. having used nearly all illicit substances, this moral panic is a storm in a tea cup. I don't see the squawky mammies protesting outside the thousands of chippers and pubs which do more damage by a factor of thousands to the nation.
Finian Coghlan
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Olaf makes complete sense. We should see more of him on tv. Don't mind the rubbish that these politicians spout on what is perceived as an 'easy vote' subject. Common sense should prevail. Drink is a lot worse and more detrimental to society as a whole.
Ross
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Pubs are now a thing of the past head shops now have replaced them different times, different highs even though I think they should be burned to the ground.
Kate Tipperary
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You shouldn't be treating this Plague on our society in such a trivial manner! People are dead and others mentally ill after using these drugs.
Mary
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Labelling of these products seem to be short of Legal.. Also does the 'substances for plants only' actually enhance the plants or murder them.. ?
Peter Wexford

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Regulation is the way forward, making these illegal is just turning our back to the fact that a lot of people from all walks of life take them. I take them myself in moderation. We need someone to stand up and demand regulation while leaving them in the shops and away from the alley ways, but we all know that won't happen here unless europe say so.

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Cannabis is a less harmful drug than the legal drug,alcahol. Also,I would take any odds that there has never been a VOILENT/SERIOUS crime comitted by anyone stoned on cannabis.
Brian
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The Panel have no common sense.Close the head shops, we're an addictive natìon we have enough problems with drink it is wrong for our kids to have these on every street corners like sweet shops .Please close them.