Published: Wednesday, 27th January, 2010 5:02pm

Mullingar 'head shop' was open 24 hours

by Helen Sweeny

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The huge turnout at the Mullingar Park Hotel yesterday for the National Drugs Task Force conference, which was addressed by Minister for State John Curran, revealed the strength of feeling against so-called 'head shops' which sell legal 'party' or recreational drugs.

The Minister's strongly worded speech said that 'head shops' must be strictly legislated if they are to continue but Deputy Curran stopped short of calling for a ban on the outlets but said that "close monitoring of the sale of psycho-active drugs" must be put into action.

But community groups in Mullingar, aided by the Chamber of Commerce have already restricted the trading hours, if not the product choice of one such shop -Hi-Times- on Grove Street, which chamber president Paul O'Brennan said had operated for 24 hours until just two weeks ago.

Mr O'Brennan who attended the conference said yesterday that before the opening hours were curbed, locals had told him that the shops had operated like an "ATM" for buying the legal drugs.

"Locals came to me and told me that they had seen people going up to the door and passing money through a slot and whatever they were buying was passed back out again. This was happening at all hours. People told me that the shop had operated 24 hours a day. I came to the final agreement with the owner about two weeks ago and opening hours are now between 11am and 10pm.

"I am totally opposed to drugs of any type, I hate them, but I feel that if we can see where they are being bought, there is at least some measure of accountability," he said.

Senator Camillus Glynn who was also in attendance at the conference said that "his feeling" on the subject was to call for an immediate ban. "Young people have enough distractions," he said. "If we can't have a ban then we must have tight legislation."

Senator Glynn's comments were echoed by party colleague Senator Donie Cassidy who had said the ssue had been on the Seanad's order of business three times in the last week.

"We are taking this very seriously and we must make sure that this great challenge to society is met and that we take urgent action. I have heard that some of these people ply their business in nite clubs and even offer to come around and deliver the goods after the club has finished," he said.

Minister Curran addressed the conference before travelling across town to officially launch the Open Door Project which provides counselling and practical help to those struggling with addiction.

Head shops have been in the headlines constantly over the last few weeks as media reported an increase in the use of a legal cocaine substitute sold as either "blow" or "charge" and which is packaged in the guise of bath salts. Priced at €30 it provides a cheap alternative to the class A narcotic. It is not known whether the product is currently on sale in Mullingar.