A conference is being held in Dublin today to investigate if there is a different way to tackle the scourge of drugs. They say communities are worried that people who use drugs are being criminalised rather than being helped and that there is a fear over legalising more drugs.

There is also concern about the increase in people using more than one drug and intimidation.

Community groups are hearing from international experts to see if what happens in other countries can work here as an alternative to tackling the drug problem.

Topics to be discussed include should we decriminalise drug use, is prison the right place for addicts - and are current drug strategies working?

Another topic being debated is the jailing of drug users for long periods.

Liam Herrick from the Irish Penal Reform Trust says we need to see if this is the right thing to do.

Anna Quigley is from the Citywide Drug Crisis Campaign. She says it is about getting people to talk about what works and what does not.

 

Also up for discussion is tackling intimidation and the growing problem of legal drugs within communities.