^{The following article appeared in the Avondhu Newspaper - 7th May 2009} 

North Cork communities are ‘the leading light’ in fighting drug dealing and abuse according to gardai who were on hand to launch the latest joint initiative aimed at tackling the antisocial issue.

^{Liam Clancy, Martina Munnelly, Superintendent Tom Myers, Aoife Ni Chonchuir and Garda Andrew Geary display the new informative beer mats at the ‘Fermoy Says No To Drugs’ campaign launch in the Grand Hotel last week.}

Gardai, support groups, publicans and public officials were all present as the ‘Fermoy Says No To Drugs’ campaign was officially launched in The Grand Hotel last Thursday, April 30 in time for the May bank holiday weekend.

As part of the campaign, messages in English and Polish on beer mats detailing the harmful effects and the risks associated with cannabis, ecstasy, alcohol and cocaine have been circulated to pubs in the area.

Contact details for the local community drugs worker in Fermoy, and the Polish-speaking addiction counselor service based in Arbour House, St. Finbarr’s Hospital, Cork City are also included on the beer mats, while publicans in Fermoy have agreed to display posters on illicit drugs in their venues.

“What this campaign demonstrates is that publicans in Fermoy do care, they do want to tackle drug and alcohol misuse,” Aoife Ni Chonchuir, Health Promotion Department with the Health Service Executive said.

“What the publicans are saying loud and clear is that drug use and drug dealing will not be tolerated in Fermoy and that alcohol misuse will not be tolerated in Fermoy and that is a message that will be loud and clear to punters frequenting pubs and clubs in the Fermoy region.”

Superintendent Tom Myers of Fermoy gardai said that there was a 10% increase in drug detection locally in 2008 compared to 2007, and while the majority of detections were what are described as ‘soft’ drugs, his experiences have seen users move on from the substances towards harder drugs such as heroin.

“We have to have a multi-agency approach, the gardai cannot do this on their own,” Superintendent Myers told guests at the launch, adding that law enforcement needs help from vintners, parents, the Department of Education, local representatives and the media in countering drug use and dealing in the community. Martina Munnelly, project worker with the Fermoy Community Drugs Initiative agreed with Superintendent Myers.

“It really needs to be a collaborative approach, it’s not just people like my self or Aoife, it is the community as well, everyone has a role to play and this campaign really highlights that,” she said.

Liam Clancy spoke at the launch on behalf of the publicans of Fermoy.

“As publicans ourselves we can’t turn a blind eye, we have to be aware,” he said. “We can’t say that ‘well they’re not in our bar’, they are. We just have to be aware.”

Andrew Geary, community garda in Fermoy said the town sets an example that the rest of Cork follows. “Fermoy has shown a leading light to the rest of Cork. Since I have come here I have reiterated it time and time again, there’s a fantastic community spirit in Cork North and particularly in the Fermoy Mitchelstown area. We are very lucky as gardai to be policing this area,” Garda Geary said.

“The community of Fermoy comes forward to the plate time and time again and puts themselves forward as an example for the rest of the county to follow,” he added, praising the attitude and co-operation of the publicans in the town.

The various public representatives present also added their approval to the scheme, which was rolled out in North Cork pubs in the last week.

For more information or advice contact Martina Munnelly of the Fermoy Community Drugs Initiative on (086) 6096874.