Protest in Oldcastle to put pressure on local 'head shop'

A public protest against a so-called 'head shop' in Oldcastle is being organised by the Oldcastle Drug Awareness Group for this coming Saturday. Concerned residents will gather at 4.30pm outside the church on the Kells Road before the protest at 5pm. Cathy Guirke, chairperson of the committee, said they hoped the shop would be closed sooner rather than later and she hoped the protest would make people aware of the problems these types of premises were causing. "We know the landlord is doing eveything to have the shop closed and we hope it will close soon, but we also want to show that we don't want any opening anywhere else in the town," she said. The committee has also drawn up a petition which it will present to the Dail within the next fortnight and it will be available for signing on Saturday. "We are looking for the support of the local community. We will have guest speakers and we want to make people aware of the isues," she said. Meanwhile, Deputy Mary Wallace said she was concerned about 'head shops' around the country, and especially in Meath, selling 'legal highs' or 'herbal highs' to young people. "As a parent, it is worrying to think that our teenagers can walk into one of these shops and buy these products with ease, as the 'legal' tag insinuates that the product is safe. "What these shops aren't advertising are the potential changes to a person's health from the use of their products. Worryingly, these products can also serve as a stepping stone for young people to move on to stronger substances," she said. Deputy Wallace said she had asked the Minister for Health the steps she will be taking to deal with the ongoing concerns regarding 'head shops' and the sale of products which have been described as 'legal highs' and 'party drugs'. Health Minister Mary Harney told Deputy Wallace that the list of banned substances is kept under ongoing review and, in 2006, psychotropic (magic) mushrooms were banned and their possession and sale is now illegal. Following a recent conference on 'head shops' and 'legal highs' organised by the regional drugs task force from across the country, Deputy Wallace said she was pleased that Minister of State with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy, John Curran, is co-ordinating a Government response across departments to tackle the problems associated with the proliferation of 'head shops'. A large crowd attended a public meeting in the Headfort Arms Hotel last Tuesday night to discuss the ongoing issue of 'head shops' in the north Meath area. Representatives from various groups across the region with expertise in this area were invited to speak, including the North-East Drugs Task Force and South Meath Response. Garda Sgt John O'Dwyer gave a talk on the products available in these head shops and their uses. Deputy Shane McEntee, who hosted the meeting, said he was delighted at the turnout and said this was an issue that affected the entire community. "Following on from last week's meeting, the landlord of the property in Kells has given assurances that he has instructed his client to leave the premises and is hopeful that the premises will be vacated within six weeks." He added: "I would urge all parents to educate themselves regarding drugs and the products available in these 'head shops'. Further information can be found at www.drugs.ie. It is important for people to learn about the dangers, on how to talk to their children about these issues, and how to spot early warning signs that their child may be in difficulty," added Deputy McEntee.