Citywide - The Story So Far

Origins

Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign was formed in response to the very serious and very dangerous drugs problem which existed in Dublin in the 1990s, a problem which has persisted until the current day. In the 1990s the drugs crisis was characterised by large numbers of drugs related deaths (especially amongst young people), by open and visible drug dealing, by the absence of treatment and rehabilitation services for drug users and by entire communities being ravaged and destroyed by the drugs problem.

At the time when Citywide was formed in 1995, there was an inadequate and ineffective response to the drugs crisis from relevant statutory agencies - from An Garda Síochána, from local authorities, from Health Boards. In this context local communities and community activists were left with no option but to become more directly involved in tackling the drugs crisis. These community interventions, in those parts of Dublin most affected by the drugs crisis, included forcing drug dealers out of local communities and the organisation of community meetings to decide upon the most effective ways to tackle the drugs problem.

Citywide emerged from a mass meeting of community activists and other local residents which took place in Liberty Hall in 1995. At this meeting, organised by the Inner City Organisations Network (ICON), participants clearly identified the need to set up some type of structure or forum which would enable individuals and groups to come together on a regular basis to progress a whole range of issues and proposals relating to the drugs issue; and to put pressure on relevant statutory agencies to deliver practical and effective responses to the severe drugs crisis which was destroying the lives of so many people and so many families within particular communities in Dublin.

At the time of the establishment of Citywide, community activists and other local residents were also acutely aware of the fact that the drugs crisis in Dublin really began in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The re-emergence of the crisis in the 1990s was a reflection of the failure to put in place adequate supports, services and facilities during the time of the earlier drugs crisis in the late 1970s/early 1980s. In this context, those people involved in the establishment of Citywide in 1995 were anxious to ensure that the responses to the drug crisis this time around were substantial, meaningful, targeted and co-ordinated. Citywide was one of the mechanisms through which this coherent, collective and co-ordinated response could be achieved.

Drugs Crisis and Citywide - Key Developments 1995 - 2005

This next section will outline the main work areas and main activities of Citywide between 1995 and 2005 and will map out some of the key developments which have taken place around the drugs crisis and around the evolution of Citywide during the last 10 year period.

1995 Drugs Crisis

• Levels and extent of drug taking and drug dealing reach crisis proportions
• Citywide Inner City Organisations Network organise meeting in Liberty Hall

Citywide

• Drugs Crisis Campaign set up to bring local communities together to campaign for the policies and resources needed to tackle the drugs crisis
• Formation of Steering Committee by Citywide

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1996 Drugs crisis

• Street campaigns are organised on the houses of drug dealers and on political institutions
• The murder of Veronica Guerin leads to a greater political focus on the drugs problem
• Enactment of Proceeds of Crime Act which formed the basis for establishment of Criminal Assets Bureau
• Production of first report of Ministerial Task Force to Reduce the Demand for Drugs in October 1996

Citywide

• Citywide organise two conferences in early 1996 in order to put together policies around the three strands of health/treatment, justice/supply and prevention/education
• Citywide produces its first comprehensive policy document - 'Responding Together' - in May 1996

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1997 Drugs crisis

• Establishment of Local Drugs Task Forces - 11 in Dublin and 1 in Cork
• Production of second report of the Ministerial Task Force to Reduce the Demand for Drugs
• Enactment of Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act aimed at curbing antisocial behaviour, including drug dealing, within local authority estates and flats complexes
• Establishment of Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund

Citywide

• Organisation of campaign to ensure that budgets for Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund are not cut
• Citywide is recognised as a Support Agency within the Community development programme in order to develop the capacity of local communities to tackle the drugs problem
• Employment of a Co-ordinator and three other full-time workers - funded through Community development programme
• Establishment of management group (previously Steering Committee) to guide and direct the work of Citywide
• Citywide is constituted as a Limited Company

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1998 Drugs crisis

• Introduction of methadone protocol by Department of Health
• Drugs crisis continues - figures produced by Merchants Quay Project demonstrate that 20 new people each week are presenting themselves for support, advice and treatment
• Government approves funding and support to Local Drugs Task Forces for a further two years

Citywide

• Full staff team in place - co-ordinator, four outreach workers and administrator
• Organisation of seminars on community policing and on treatment
• Production of Drugs Education/Prevention Charter
• Citywide facilitates a group of community representatives to make presentation to the Public Affairs Committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas

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1999 Drugs crisis

• Numbers in treatment rise from 1,861 in 1996 to 3,675 in 1999
• Number of opiate users in Dublin is estimated at 13,640 (in research produced by Dr. Catherine Comiskey)
• Evaluation of drugs projects and mainstreaming of a large number of projects being supported by Local Drugs Task Forces
• Production of report from Drug Court Planning Committee - this leads to establishment of pilot Drug Court

Citywide

• Production of second comprehensive policy document, 'Responding Together : The Crisis Continues'
• Establishment of Best Practice Working Group with Eastern Health Board
• Organisation of seminar on family support which was jointly hosted with Community Response

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2000 Drugs crisis

• Allocation of £15 million to Local Drugs Task Forces for period covering 2000 and 2001

Citywide

• First Service of Commemoration and Hope held in Sean McDermott Street Church on 1st February 2000. This service was organised by Citywide and by family support groups from across Dublin
• Establishment of Citywide Family Support Network
• Submissions to the review of the National Drugs Strategy
• Citywide organise two meetings for community representatives from outside of Dublin in order to explore networking options and the support needs of communities outside Dublin being affected by drugs

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2001 Drugs crisis

• Production of Government drug strategy document entitled 'Building on Experience, 2001 - 2008'. This strategy sets out 100 specific actions around the four pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment and research
• Announcement of establishment of Regional Drugs Task Forces
• Establishment of Community Policing Fora in the North Inner City and in the South Inner City/Rialto/Inchicore area

Citywide

• Citywide organise a conference to consider the role of local communities in the implementation of actions within the 2001 - 2008 National Drugs Strategy
• Provision of information to Community Development Projects about Regional Drugs Task Forces
• Ongoing development of Family Support Network and launch of joint report with Community Response Family Project

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2002 Drugs crisis

• Delays in the delivery of plans produced by Local Drugs Task Forces and through the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund
• Delays in implementation of actions within National Drugs Strategy
• Growing concerns about the prevalence and use of cocaine within local communities

Citywide

• Production of third comprehensive policy document, 'Responding Together : The Campaign Goes On'
• Organisation of Family Support Network annual conference in April 2002
• Organisation of march in June 2002 to highlight the need for the drugs issue to be given a higher political priority
• Training programme for community representatives on Local Drugs Task Force
• Organisation of meeting for community groups across Dublin in relation to cocaine use

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2003 Drugs crisis

• Serious concerns about extent to which many actions within the National Drugs Strategy are likely to be implemented in an effective manner within the agreed timescale

Citywide

• Organisation of cocaine awareness seminar
• Organisation of major meeting in September 2003 to consider the ongoing drugs crisis in local communities
• Survey of community drugs projects carried out to determine the extent of cocaine use in local communities
• Organisation of two national seminars for community representatives on Regional Drugs Task Forces

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2004 Drugs crisis

• Establishment of Mid Term Review of National Drugs Strategy

Citywide

• Production of handbook for community representatives on Local Drugs Task Forces
• Facilitation of submissions to the review of National Drugs Strategy from community representatives on Local Drugs Task Forces
• Participation in cocaine sub-committee set up by Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
• Collection of information from political parties about their strategies and plans in relation to drugs issue
• Production and launch of Family Support Resource Pack

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