The growing use of weed on the streets of Dublin shows the city is being “ceded to illegality,” Shane Coleman has warned.
Today FM presenter Shelly Gray told Newstalk Breakfast today the smell of cannabis has become “significantly worse” on the streets of Dublin.
She said people seem to have "no respect" for the law or their fellow citizens.
Shane said he is not a “hardliner war on drugs” type of person – but the “ever-present smell of weed” has begun to annoy him.
“The very public use of drugs - to me, it's an 'eff you' to authority,” he said.
“To me, it says there's no fear of or respect for the law.
“The real worry I have about it is, the signal it sends out to me is that the streets are being ceded to illegality and wrongdoing and I think that's a really dangerous message to send out.
“If we're wondering why we have problems on our streets, I think you can start there at that very point.
“I think it's a really dangerous message to send out.”
Shops on Grafton Street in the city centre, Dublin City, Republic of Ireland (Ian Dagnall / Alamy Stock Photo)Co-presenter Ciara Kelly said she remembers people smoked weed “all the time” when she was younger – but insisted, “You didn’t smell it on the streets”.
“It was it was done differently; it was done more covertly,” she said.
“There weren't guards on every corner back then either – so, something has changed attitudinally in society.”
Shane said people have “no fear” of facing consequences for smoking weed in public.
Smoking weed in Ireland
Ciara said she is “fully on board” with more Gardaí patrolling the streets for illegal drug use.
“That's one of the pillars that will change the character back in the city.”
She said "something has shifted" amongst the public when it comes to smoking cannabis on the streets.
“I'm sure it's in other towns and cities as well,” she said.
“I'm sure it's in Galway, I'm sure it's in Cork; you walk around, it's there and no one seems to care.”
Cannabis remains illegal in Ireland for recreational purposes, while medicinal cannabis requires case-by-case approval from the Minister for Health.
