Internet is the biggest drug dealer inIreland in 2018 says Derry counsellor

Psychotherapist Liam Stewart, of ‘Heal the Hurt’, made the claim at a ‘Communities Against Drugs Meeting’ in Kildress, which was organised by Saoradh.

Prescription medicines and chemicals hitherto unknown are now regularly bought online and abused, he said. The Derry counsellor warned that people who wanted to abuse drugs would find a way of sourcing them.

He emphasised “the importance of educating people of the dangers of drug abuse and addiction before people became dependent on drugs”.

He suggested parents invest in drug testing kits, which can identify use through a mouth swab.

Shauna Deery, from the Creggan Neighbourhood Partnership, also addressed the meeting and spoke of having to start from scratch when drugs first became a problem in Derry. She said securing funding to educate young people and deal with the drugs issue in the city was an “uphill battle”.