Delighted to have Ger Roe on the podcast to discuss how Ireland's drug policies effects the youths in Dublin that he works with as a Youth Worker.

Gerard Roe is an award nominated youth worker, activist and father from Dublin. Gerard is a graduate Social Scientist of Maynooth University and has been involved in youth work for over a decade working in a number of youth projects across Dublin's most disadvantaged areas, including eight years in a groundbreaking national youth organisation. 

Gerard has led the development of two drug outreach services and ran a number of harm reduction campaigns in his career. Gerards specialties are in harm reduction and drug education and has a particular interest in the area of drug policy reform. Gerard is an advocate for legalization of cannabis and decriminalisation of drugs for personal use and went before the Dept of Justice, Defence and Equality to argue in favour of decriminalisation resulting in a report in favour of this approach. 

Gerard’s work has also seen him play a role in the development of Ireland’s current national drug strategy Reducing Harm-Supporting Recovery. Gerard featured in an RTE documentary which sparked a nationwide debate on how Ireland needs to change its approach to dealing with drugs. Gerard is passionate about helping young people reach their full potential and keeping them safer from the harms of drugs and drug policy.

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Timestamps

3:04 Interview starts 

4:00 What kind of kids do you work with in the youth service?

5:40 Do you see kids in your services who have been targeted by criminal gangs for drug dealing and drug running?

11:25 How the unwillingness to speak out hinders better policies in our society.

14:15 "The fear of speaking out"

17:45 What advice would you have for a person in overcoming the fear of speaking out

20:30 Youth workers and why they get into this line of work. 

25:10 "I've lost friends , I've lost young people I work with because of this policy!"

26:20 The 2 biggest dangers to kids from disadvanteged areas are "The Justice System and Violent Criminal Gangs"

31:40 How do the young people you work with view the gardai?

34:25 Gardai Discretion in Ireland 

36:05 "The Greatest Moral Injustice"

40:00 How evident is gangland crime and the effects this is having on kids in Dublin

45:15 What kinds drugs are kids encountering today

48:00 Do gardai ever ask why a young person is using drugs or are they just concerned in catching them?

49:20 The most vulnerable of drug users, kids who suffered severe trauma. "Hugs not Handcuffs"

52:20 Addressing the biggest dangers to drug users. QUALITY and STRENGHT through Drug Testing in Ireland and how Ger and grass roots activists in SSDP helped to achieve this. 

57:55 "The Tide is not just changing its coming in" (in relation to drug testing)

1:01:40 "We can overcome the problem of drug gangs not by taking on the gangs but by taking on the justice system that has created them!"

1:02:00 Wrapping it up.

1:02:50 Acknowledging the hard work of the activists who have got us this far. The Pebble Pushers!