People who take drugs recreationally "can't wash their hands" of drug problems in Dublin, Archbishop Dermot Farrell has warned.
He says the crack cocaine epidemic in the capital is "extensive and insidious".
The Archbishop of Dublin addressed the issue in his most recent Sunday homily.
He said that crack cocaine use and the "violence that follows" has become an epidemic, while the "normalisation" of a drugs culture in Ireland has become a "major societal issue".
He warned that taking drugs has become as normal as having a drink for some people.
The Archbishop also described those who peddle drugs are "peddlers of death".
On Newstalk Breakfast, Archbishop Farrell said his visits to parishes around the city have revealed crack cocaine is a major concern for many parents and communities.
He said: “It’s quite a major issue in the city - I believe it’s quite extensive, and it’s insidious.
“We had a heroin epidemic many years ago in the city. It’s more complex now - not only have you crack cocaine, but you have all these synthetic drugs which people are taking at weekends ‘socially or recreationally’.
“That’s the normalisation… starting to take drugs has become as normal as going out for a pint. Once that happens, it becomes extensive, endemic and insidious."
Recreational drug use 'fuelling the situation'
He said poverty and social disadvantage are among the factors driving the major increase in drug use.
However, he said affluent people who take drugs recreationally or socially are also contributing to the problem.
He observed: "They’re fuelling the situation, and making it lucrative for the people who bring in these drugs. People like that can’t wash their hands [of this].
“From my understanding of listening to people on the ground, there are young children involved and have become entrapped in this.
“People who take drugs are accomplices to this entrapment of children and young people.”
Archbishop Farrell said addressing this issue is not just down to the gardaí, courts and government - needs a more comprehensive approach.
He said: “In terms of trying to deal with it, one needs to look at things like education, supporting communities, and supporting centres that are trying to deal with it.”
“I’m very conscious and mindful of the fact it’s the 25th anniversary of the first National Drugs Strategy and the establishment of a National Drugs Taskforce.
“That set about tackling the supply and the demand issues, and did it in a way that was using local knowledge. It had credibility and local people - it was a very comprehensive approach in which everyone was playing their part.”
The Archbishop said he's sending out this message now as Advent is a “season of hope” - and there's a need to encourage and support people who are struggling with drug problems.
His comments come in the wake of a recent report warning that the crack cocaine problem in the Tallaght-Whitechurch area of the capital has spiralled out of control.
The local drugs taskforce has said there's an urgent need for €1 million in extra funding to address the 'tsunami' of crack cocaine use in the area.
