Misuse of Drugs
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-05
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Teresa Costello (FF), Agricultural Panel

I thank the Minister of State for the response. I do not really like to use the word often but I think we are in an "emergency" situation with this. Not to be dismissive of anything that the Minister of State has said, a fact sheet is not going to cut it with a 16-year-old or a 17-year-old. We need to reach young people. Given that something so easily available can cause spinal cord damage, we need immediate action on this. We do not want a tragedy. I do not want to wake up and read on the front page of a paper that there has been a huge tragedy. This is everywhere. In a small area of Tallaght the amount that is being consumed, and the size of those canisters, is frightening. We definitely need something that will reach the younger people. I genuinely do not think it is fact sheets. Something more proactive has to be done to reach young people and educate them and drive the message home.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-05/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:35+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-05