Drugs in West Belfast - report lays bare problems

By Andrew Madden

There will never be fundamental change in West Belfast’s drug problem without addressing the poverty and conflict legacies affecting it, a report has found. Launched on Monday, the West Belfast Community Drugs Panel’s report examined all aspects of drugs misuse in the area and provided a series of recommendations. The panel was set up in October last year in reaction to a spate of drug-related deaths in the west of the city and is made up of representatives from several government departments, including the Belfast Trust and the Public Health Agency. Families in the area affected by drugs, including bereaved parents, were also invited to give their views through community representatives on the panel, which was chaired by Noel Rooney, former head of the Probation Board for NI. Funding for the report was provided by the Belfast Policing and Community Safety Partnership, which is made up of councillors and representatives from statutory agencies. The report found significant issues relating to drugs misuse in West Belfast, many related to chronic under-funding by successive governments and the lack of a coherent, multi-agency strategy to deal with the problem. It also identified significant contributing factors relating to the area’s social housing provision.