Dublin GAA legend Philly McMahon, whose brother died after a battle with addiction, has told the new citizens’ assembly on drugs use that it has an opportunity to save lives.
McMahon’s brother John died in 2012 at the age of 31 after a long struggle with a heroin addiction.
The eight-time all Ireland winner shared his family’s experience as he addressed the new Citizens’ Assembly, which commenced its work on Saturday.
The former star inter-county corner back, who is an advocate of decriminalisation, reflected candidly on life with and without his brother as he spoke about the potential for the assembly to change how the state approaches issues related to addiction and drugs misuse.
This is an issue that affects so many people across 🇮🇪. #CADrugsUse needs to take a person-centred approach. @sharonlambert0, @PaulineMcKeown3, Andy O’Hara from @myuisce & @PhillyMcMahon speak about the individual & community impacts. Thanks to @DearbhailDibs for moderating. pic.twitter.com/xptv8a9hJM
Advertisement— The Citizens' Assembly (@CitizAssembly) April 15, 2023
“It’s not very often you get a chance in your life to make a big difference in society for good basically,” he said.
“Without putting pressure on anybody, I think it’s a great thing to be a part of.”
He added: “I’m very lucky, I have a one-year-old child now and every time I think of my brother and I look at my son I think what my mam and dad went through and the pain and suffering they went through to lose a son, and not only to lose a son but all those years from the age of 14 to 31 and the pain and suffering they had to go through and carry.”
McMahon said it was only in the later years of his addiction that his brother was diagnosed as being schizophrenic.
He said prior to that diagnosis, the family struggled to understand why John was acting like he did.
McMahon attended the morning session of the first sitting of the new assembly at Malahide in Dublin.
He later addressed the gathering remotely during a panel discussion session on Saturday afternoon.
“If you have a child or if you have somebody that might, you know, possibly have trauma at a young age and they start to try to fill that void with a substance, what way would you want them to be treated?” he asked.
“Would you want them to be incriminated? Would you want the intervention to be done through criminal justice or a public health-led approach?
“So, I think it’s just important for all the people that we have in all our graveyards that haven’t got the chance with possible change, I think the assembly can have that and possibly save lives and also impact families and communities.”
