Lack of drug and alcohol support ‘diabolical’ says Northlands founder Denis Bradley

Mr. Bradley told the ‘Journal’ the government and political parties are not doing enough to help people struggling with drugs and alcohol.

“If you look at it at the moment the situation is diabolical when it comes to alcohol and that conglomerate we are going to face between alcohol and drugs.

"It is scary and not being dealt with very well by governments and political parties. They keep referring to it but not very much is happening,” he said.

Mr. Bradley was speaking as his new memoir ‘Peace Comes Dropping Slow: My Life in the Troubles’ hits the shelves.

The book refers to the establishment of the Northlands in 1975.

Mr. Bradley said a planned new centre in the city needs to proceed as soon as possible.

"Northlands has been trying to build a new centre in Derry for the last ten to fifteen years and has a brilliant site. It takes a bit of money. We can't get our hands on it. We just can't get our hands on it. It's absolutely ridiculous.

"And the number of people who end up in A&E, the number of people who end up in hospital, the number of people who end up dead, the amount of money that is going into the prison system - if you have any sensitivity at all, if you have eyes to see, you see and hear too much stuff,” he said.

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