Debate contribution: Ketamine: Reclassification

Debate contribution by Miss Deirdre Hargey on 11 March 2025.

MLA

Miss Deirdre Hargey

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

11 March 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Ketamine: Reclassification

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4855765

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Today's motion is important, and I thank the Members for tabling it. I, too, recognise the work of Sandra Larmour in the aftermath of losing her daughter, Jeni, in highlighting the important issue and the impact that drugs have on the user, their family and the wider community. I also take this opportunity to thank all those who are working in this area across our communities. I see the impacts daily in my community and constituency. These debates can be emotive, as they often involve people who have been impacted on through losing a loved one, people who are living with addiction and people who know of the wider impacts on families and communities. Often, the public discourse can be around the criminal justice and enforcement approach, but we also know, from years of work at the grassroots and internationally, that that, in isolation, does not resolve the issues and the impacts. Health, education and prevention are key in tackling the issues that have an impact across society. The importance of focusing on addressing inequality also needs to be looked at. It is important that, through a holistic, health-based approach, we do not stigmatise users and those who are often impacted on by addiction. It is also vital that we do not stigmatise the ability to have an open conversation, as, often, the stigma can perpetuate the silence and disempower those who have been impacted on and the community from tackling the issues in a meaningful way. The Amplify project has been launched in my community in the Market area of south Belfast. The project is a community toolkit that aims to break the silence and tackle health inequalities such as trauma and addiction through the power of building creative communities.

That allows the community to bring the issues to the fore and, importantly, to talk about them in an open forum. They have created a toolkit, a podcast and a community tapestry photographic exhibition, and they are in the middle of doing a play that will be shown in the Waterfront Hall later this year. All that work is being supported through the Queen's University's scheme, Queen's Communities and Place.

We are also seeing new approaches in our justice system, with the piloting of the substance misuse court trialled to help tackle the cycle of crime, looking at the root causes and providing support, such as treatment plans, alongside supervision and monitoring, to help turn people's lives around. Tackling substance use and the impact of drugs is an important issue. Of course, reviews are important, but they also must be driven by data and best practice. We must also look at how substances are used in our healthcare system, and, if changes are to be made, we need to know and understand the knock-on effects and unintended consequences. Co-designing interventions with communities is therefore vital, as we know that the opposite of addiction is connection — connection to tackling the underlying causes and building those community connections where people feel isolated. Together, let us break the silence, let us amplify our voices and let us build healthy and connected communities for all.

523 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:15 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification