Lethal drugs given to priest

Published Thursday, 17 September 2009

A batch of a potentially lethal cocaine based drug was handed to a priest, just days after a west Belfast man died from a suspected overdose.

The drug, known as 'Magic', was given to Fr Gary Donegan by an Ardoyne community group, 'Concerned Families Against Drugs' (CFAD), along with quantities of ecstasy, amphetamine and cannabis.

Fr Donegan told UTV there has been a rise in the use of more so-called hard drugs.

"Any increase is very, very upsetting for the community, particularly that more hard drugs have been found.

"I recently had a concerned parishioner who had witnessed children in their school uniforms smoking cannabis in the street," he said.

"It's an endemic problem in society but I've noticed in the last year and 18 months a big grip in the community.

"So much money is involved and that's an attraction. Young people start using drugs and get hooked.

"It leads to a whole lawlessness in society and a break down of the basic fabric as a result."

Stephen Boyd, 21, died hours after taking a lethal substance at a party in Twinbrook last Friday.

The Lenadoon man may have taken a drug known as base-speed which only recently emerged in Northern Ireland.

Comments

4 Comments

sean in Derry wrote (931 days ago):

here we go again, classing cannabis the same as herion or base speed, people need to get educated, we have experts saying cannabis is less of a danger than tobbaco or drink, we have government scientists leaving posts .. so stop with the cannabis leading to harder drugs, its society and the lack of education that leads them to hard drugs.. and the fact they have nothing to do..

Dave Murphy in Belfast wrote (979 days ago):

I agree with Phil, Cannabis should never be classed as a 'hard drug' & it is not a 'gateway drug' Like all Gateways, they need a key, Cannabis is not the key.

Phil in Belfast wrote (979 days ago):

I hate how cannabis is always classed along with 'hard drugs', its never killed anyone and the gateway theroy is rubbish, its because it's illegal and sold by people who also sell hard drugs that it becomes a gateway. Education, education, education!!!!!

Martin in Belfast wrote (980 days ago):

Why on earth would they give it to a preist?? Surely they should have given it to police. Anyone in thier right minds would have handed it to police.