The fact that only 30 odd people, including seven or eight local councillors, turned up to the head shop protest last week raises some important questions.
One would have to wonder do the local politicians actually have a mandate from the public to carry out these protests or were the public frightened of being associated with the march last Wednesday.
According to the Castlebar town councillors between them they have received a stack of letters from concerned parents about the operation of the two head shops in the town.
What has been especially worrying for the parents is the situation of these shops on the main thoroughfares to two of the town’s secondary schools and two primary schools.
According to Fine Gael’s Eugene McCormack some people were afraid to protest because of the kind of people who ‘may’ be involved in them. This assertion would arise from the burnings of two head shops in Dublin over recent weeks who some commentators have linked to the IRA while others have linked to drug lords whose sales have been affected by the operation of these stores.
Certainly the operators of the two shops in Castlebar haven’t been shy about speaking to the media about what’s on sale in their stores and their practice of not selling to under 18s, a fact that has been disputed by the politicians.
The gardaí have vowed to do all they can — but what really are their powers when these shops are operating within the law? If planning issues are a problem then it is the local authority that must act.
I have sympathy for parents who are fearful that their children will get caught up in taking harmful substances which could lead onto them taking illegal drugs.
But parents have a responsibility here too. They need to educate their children about the dangers of consuming substances which could be damaging to their health. It’s no different to the underage consumption of alcohol or cigarettes or illegal drugs. Obviously the temptation is there for children and teenagers to dabble with these mind altering substances, but parents have a huge roll in trying to educate their children to the risks involved.
The operators of these two stores aren’t standing on the streets with placards or leashes luring customers into their stores. People do so of their own free will, just like they smoke and drink and take drugs. Peer pressure is an age old phenomenon and one which isn’t about to disappear but it’s up to individuals to make their own decisions in life and live by the consequences of their actions.
A range of the ‘legal highs’ available to purchase over the counter in these shops are due to be banned from next month. This is definitely a step in the right direction but head shop owners would claim that the illegalisation of BZP last year has led to a surge in its sale on the black market. What is certain is regulation is needed.
Fine Gael will be holding weekly Friday protests in Castlebar giving parents and concerned citizens the chance to publicly voice their opposition. If youth organisations and student bodies joined the protests then maybe they would carry more weight among the impressionable teenagers of today.
Toni Bourke Editor [email protected]
