Personal possession of drugs for one’s own use should cease to be treated as a criminal matter and should instead be met with a health-led approach, according to Social Democrats justice spokesperson Gary Gannon.<\/p>\n
Deputy Gannon, who is Chair of the Oireachtas Drugs Committee, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Committee recommends the repeal of section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 in order to fully decriminalise the possession of drugs for personal use and introduce a comprehensive health-led approach to the use and misuse of substances.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not a marginal adjustment. It is a recognition that criminalising people for their own drug use has not reduced harm, and that a different approach is both possible and overdue.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday\u2019s report is the culmination of one of the most extensive examinations of drugs policy ever undertaken in the history of the State. It began with the work of the Citizens\u2019 Assembly on Drugs Use, where the public spent months hearing evidence, weighing arguments and reaching conclusions about how Ireland should respond to drug use and addiction, and has led to these recommendations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThroughout this process, members of the Committee made a conscious effort to leave party positions at the door and allow the evidence to lead us, resulting in a broad, cross party consensus on the direction that Irish drugs policy should now take.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the course of our work, we heard from clinicians, researchers, service providers, community organisations, people with lived experience, family members, youth workers, legal experts and policymakers. We travelled, we listened, we challenged our own assumptions and we engaged deeply with the evidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we genuinely believe that problematic drug use and addiction represent one of the defining public health challenges of our time, then we have a responsibility to respond accordingly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe report also recommends expanding drug treatment courts and supervised consumption facilities nationwide, introducing national drug checking services, and ending short prison sentences for many drug-related offences. There must be adequate investment in drug treatment options if we are to counter the scourge of addiction.<\/p>\n
\u201cAddiction is rarely an isolated issue. It is almost always connected to trauma, poverty, exclusion, poor mental health, homelessness and disadvantage. If we are serious about reducing harm, we must be equally serious about addressing those underlying causes.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur next challenge is to implement the recommendations of today\u2019s report. We have an opportunity now to change the way in which the State approaches drug use and misuse to achieve better outcomes for all.\u201d<\/p>\n
June 24th, 2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Personal possession of drugs for one’s own use should cease to be treated as a criminal matter and should instead be met with a health-led approach, according to Social Democrats justice spokesperson Gary Gannon. Deputy Gannon, who is Chair of the Oireachtas Drugs Committee, said: \u201cThe Committee recommends the repeal of section 3 of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15081,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[859,656,733,316,11,411,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-addiction","category-drug-addiction","category-drug-use","category-gary-gannon","category-health","category-justice","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n