Campbell raises 100% increase in drug deaths in debate on illegal use and organised crime
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00:00 Just in Northern Ireland alone, drug-related deaths have increased by almost 100% between 2012 and 2020.
00:10 Similar increases are reported in England, Wales and Scotland.
00:15 Of course, we know the issue of drugs in Scotland is particularly acute, and issues have been raised there, but I will not dwell too much on how they are treated.
00:26 The interesting facet about the issue of drug deaths is that, while young people predominantly begin peddling and experimenting with drugs,
00:42 it is the older age range that tends to suffer death from themâthe 40 to 50 age groupâwhere people are dying as a result of drug-related problems.
00:54 This indicates to all of us that even those who talk about a leisure pursuit or just a casual use of drugs, perhaps at the weekend,
01:05 find that, like other substances, it becomes addictive.
01:10 It becomes greater used in a weekday or evening setting, as opposed to a Friday or Saturday night casual event, whether at a social event or at home.
01:25 Therefore, the problem comes later on in life, and we see what has happened in our hospital beds and in the treatment rooms.
01:35 There is again an increasing concern that, as drug cartels and gangs become more sophisticated,
01:43 they look at ways of ensuring that their resources can be channelled into other semi-legitimate businesses.
01:54 We all know that there are types of businesses in our constituencies that are cash-dependentâI am a great supporter of the retention of the use of cashâ
02:04 but they use cash in order to launder their ill-gotten gains.
02:09 That needs to be concentrated upon as well.
02:13 Whenever new businesses spring up and get marvellous, state-of-the-art items in the business,
02:23 the questionable source of the funds has to be looked at and examined.
02:29 If it is as questionable as it appears to be on some occasions, the full rigour of the law has to be pursued in order to bring those people to justice.