Cork TD warns that people are taking their own lives 'due to drug-debt intimidation'
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People are dying by suicide due to the terror and trauma of drug-related intimidation, a Cork TD has warned, with an increase in recorded instances of the crime this year.
Drug-related intimidation crimes rose to 500 incidents by December 19 this year, according to garda figures — up from 458 incidents in 2022.
There were 352 incidents with a recorded motive of drug-related intimidation in 2021. However, gardaí, addiction workers and politicians believe that many of these crimes still go unreported.
Sinn Féin TD for Cork North-Central, Thomas Gould, said that he was surprised the figures were not higher.
“What I’m hearing anecdotally, on the ground, is that there has been an increase. But a lot of people are very reluctant to go to gardaí.
“But people can go to gardaí confidentially. People need to go to the gardaí so the gardaí can help them.
“Drug-related intimidation has led to the tragedy of people actually dying by suicide.”
Mr Gould told the he knows of three young men who tragically took their own lives due to drug-related intimidation in the last 12-18 months and has heard of others.
Young men who have died by suicide in Cork under the burden and terror of a drug debt included a young father, a talented sportsman, and a well-paid professional, he said.
Although families had started paying off the debt in some cases, their loved one still took their own life as interest continued to mount up.
And in one case, dealers continued to pursue the family after the person who owed the debt died by suicide.
“People hear the word ‘drug addict’ and there can be a certain stigma to that,” Mr Gould said.
“But these were educated, hard-working people who got caught up in the scourge of addiction. It can happen to anyone.
“You’re dealing with people in the throes of addiction. They’re maybe trying to get into treatment and they’re vulnerable.”
Addiction counsellor Michael Guerin said he has also heard of cases where people have taken their own lives due to drug-related intimidation.
“Where you have drug addiction you almost invariably have drug debt,” Mr Guerin said.
“And that’s particularly relevant when talking about cocaine.
"And there are no rules pertaining to that debt. It’s not like owing the bank money."
Drug debt is “a huge issue” for people in treatment programmes, he said.
“There’s a huge anxiety there about the money that they owe and the things that might befall their families and loved ones as a result of their drug-taking and drug debt.
“It’s another layer of stress and worry. They’re trying to come to terms with their drug taking on the one hand but they are then away in a treatment center terrified as to what might happen their family while they’re in there.”