Oireachtas members have heard of the devastating effect that drugs known as "legal highs" are having on people as young as 13 in Ireland.
A community leader in Monaghan town told committee members that such was the threat posed by the drugs that people were talking about who would die next.
For the first time, members of the Oireachtas committees on health and justice joined forces to hear contributions from those who are dealing with the impact of "legal highs".
They are substances with stimulant or mood-altering properties whose sale or use is not banned by current legislation regarding the misuse of drugs.
Packie Kelly of the Teach na Daoine resource centre in Monaghan town told committee members that within 12 months, two young people died as a result of taking cannabinoids, which are drugs that mimic the effects of cannabis.
He said the problem was getting worse, with children as young as 13 taking the legal high known as Joker which results in psychotic behaviour.
Mr Kelly added that the problem in Monaghan town was compounded by its proximity to Northern Ireland where other herbal drugs can be purchased easily.
Chairman of the Justice Committee David Stanton said an Oireachtas committee with sole responsibility for drugs needed to be established because of the scale of the problem.
Minister of State Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said new psychoactive substances are a constantly changing phenomenon.
He said the problem was being monitored through the national early warning system, which enables the authorities to identify new drugs, describe new trends and report the serious and unusual consequences of drug use.
Mr Ó Ríordáin, who has responsibility for Drugs Strategy, told the committee that there has been an increasing trend towards poly-drug use, involving alcohol, illicit drugs and prescription medication, and this was a major concern for Government.
The Labour minister also said he would be leading the development of a drugs strategy for the period after 2016 and would lay the groundwork for a "concise and focused policy, placing a clear emphasis on the practical implementation of actions in the coming months".
