Chronic shortage of beds for addicts

THERE are no dedicated residential beds to stabilise or detoxify drug addicts or alcoholics outside Dublin, according to a report by the HSE.

The report said there were no dedicated drug or alcohol residential services in nine counties, which have a combined population of more than half a million people.

The findings of an expert group called for a huge expansion in the low level of dedicated services for substances users, including a fivefold increase in the number of hospital beds.