A Galway city councillor has called for random drug testing to be introduced in local schools following revelations that the county's cocaine epidemic has hit crisis point.

Speaking to the Galway Independent, Galway-based substance abuse councillor Alan Moran also revealed that the dangerous recreational drug is now being used by teenagers around the county due to easy availability of the substance.

"Cocaine is very common in Galway and would definitely be one of the most popular drugs. This is probably because it is so common and freely available. It is also a lot more potent than substances like cannabis resin so it can fast-track users into a lot of difficulty," said Mr Moran.

"These drugs are being used by teenagers as well. It is a difficult time with adolescents feeling hormonal and mixed up. There is a huge amount of peer pressure there to conform. In the past, alcohol was the only available drug but these days it is much easier to get your hands on different substances and get into trouble."

He continued to say that cocaine had become a normal part of 'Celtic Tiger' life, and people had been lulled into a false sense of security about the safety of the drug.

"Cocaine use has been around for a long time but these days there is a lot more access to it. There is also an element of normalisation, which is very worrying. People, especially between the ages of 24 and 35, see cocaine use as part of the successful "Celtic Tiger" life. They see their friends using cocaine and being relatively symptom-free and think that it is safe."

The popularity of cocaine has increased dramatically in the last number of years, with many high profile celebrities admitting to taking the drug. City councillor Brian Walsh, a member of the Western Region Drug Task Force says he has also noticed a rise in the usage of drugs among young people in the county with a culture of peer pressure building among teenagers.

"This is clearly a serious problem in Galway. Cocaine is everywhere and the Garda? need to be resourced so that they can clamp down on this problem. This drug has spread across all elements of society and need to be taken more seriously."

"Even young people are now doing these drugs, it is the fashionable thing to do. One parent called me recently saying that his 17-year-old son is going out and doing drugs with his friends because he feels that he has to, it is the cool thing to do and he will be seen as 'soft' if he doesn't. There is a lot of peer pressure out there among young people and something has to be done about it."

He also hit out at high profile celebrities and sport stars who glamourise the use of recreational drugs and called for random drug testing.

"There is also a culture of glamourizing drugs at the moment. Many high profile stars are taking cocaine and openly speaking about it, and as a result they are making it look as if it is an ok thing to do. These people are in a position of responsibility and even if they feel that they have to do cocaine, they really shouldn't be talking about it as this is only adding to the peer pressure exerted on teenagers."

"We need to concentrate more on educating teenagers on the effects of these drugs and introducing random drug testing in schools because these substances are seriously dangerous. Sooner or later, we have to face up to this problem."

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