Midlands in crisis over drug treatment

THE number of people receiving treatment for drug abuse in the Midlands has doubled in less than four years, according to a report.

Launching its action plan for 2006-2008, the Midland Regional Drugs Task Force (MRDTF) said there were very limited services available to drug users.

“There is no detox facility in the region and there are currently no residential rehabilitation places available,” said the survey.

The report said the number of people receiving drug treatment in the Midlands had risen from 65 to 127 between 2003 and September of this year.

It said research had estimated there was around 57 heroin users in Athlone and Portlaoise.

This figure was likely to be a serious under-representation of the heroin problem that exists, the research said.

MRDTF coordinator Julie Scully said the detox and treatment services so badly needed in the region were “largely at the mercy of the planning process.”

But she said the task force had drawn up a range of action plans under the four pillars of education/prevention, supply reduction, treatment/rehabilitation and research. These include: drop in centres for those affected by substance misuse — four pilots have already been established parental support programmes ensure all schools implement a substance misuse prevention programme an outreach service for drug users in the region detox programmes for drug users — five beds to be accessed in the short term

residential treatment rehabilitation programme with 50 places per year a non residential, community based rehabilitation programme with 100 places per year extend the Community Policing Fora into the RDTF area review the capacity of An Garda Síochána to respond to the substance misuse issue in the region.

The MRDTF is one of 10 regional drugs task forces and covers Longford, Westmeath, Offaly and Laois.

Launching the action plan, drugs strategy minister Noel Ahern said €320,000 had been allocated to the MRDTF in 2006 and that €5m had been allocated to all 10 regional bodies.