Increase in number of people injecting drug

A WORRYING trend has emerged in Cork’s growing heroin crisis following a surge in the number of people injecting the drug, a medical expert has warned.

Dr Declan O’Brien, the medical officer at Arbour House, the Health Service Executive’s Southern Regional Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Service for Cork and Kerry, said this new trend increases the severe health risks already faced by heroin users.

With heroin deals available on the street for €50 a bag, heroin addicts are leading chaotic lives struggling to cope with what is in some cases an eight bag, or €400-a day habit.

Dr O’Brien said the vast amount of money required to fund such a devastating addiction comes mainly from two sources – crime or prostitution.

Most of the people seeking medical help for heroin addiction smoke the drug. But in recent months, Dr O’Brien said he has seen more and more people who are injecting themselves with the drug.

“This is a developing problem. When you smoke heroin it gives you a high, a relaxed and euphoric feeling. Then you become drowsy and fall asleep, so you stop taking the drug,” he said.

“When you inject, it’s in your system and you can’t get it out. If you take too much, it will kill you.”

Smoking the drug increases the risk of lung damage and pneumonia. But injecting presents a whole range of added complications like severe weight loss, infections like HIV and Hepatitis, and ultimately death, he said.

There are 120 people from Cork and Kerry engaged with the Arbour House service for help with their heroin addiction. For every woman presenting at the service, there are five men.

The vast majority of those seeking help for their addiction are on a methadone treatment programme.

While the HSE has appointed a second doctor to work part-time with Dr O’Brien on the Arbour House methadone programme, he admitted that their services are stretched.

There are about 100 people on a waiting list who could be waiting several months for an assessment appointment.

“We fully accept that we are not providing a full service,” Dr O’Brien said.

“But we can’t deliver a service if we don’t know about the full extent of the problem. I would urge people out there who want help to contact us.”

* Contact Arbour House, St Finbarr’s Hospital, 021-4923204