First-Time Drug Offenders Get Health Referrals | Limerick News

A new Health Referral Scheme is finally launching in Ireland, offering first-time drug users caught with small amounts a chance to be steered toward health services instead of facing charges or cautions. But with gardaí still untrained and confused about how it works, critics call it a missed opportunity — lacking clear guidelines, training, and integration with existing systems like police discretion. While not decriminalizing drugs or stopping enforcement against supply, the scheme aims to shift focus toward harm reduction for under-18s, relying on voluntary participation and decisions made by senior officers — all while sparking debate over whether it’s truly ready to roll out. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/8ee07eea6f902ab0