Merchants: Heroin a national crisis
Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) said they were seeing 20 new heroin injectors every week, with users coming from all over the country.
“In 2008 we have seen an alarming increase in drug use outside of Dublin,” said MQI chief executive Tony Geoghegan. “Heroin respects no borders and users are now to be found in all areas, from Ballyshannon to Ballydehob.
“Cities such as Cork and Waterford that might have been considered relatively unscathed five years ago now have significant problems. Heroin use is a national crisis.”
He was commenting on the MQI annual review for 2008, which showed that 40% of those accessing treatment at their residential centre were from outside the Dublin area.
“We are now working with injecting drug users from almost every county in Ireland, including the most rural,” said Mr Geoghegan. “Access to appropriate treatment and support is totally inadequate in many parts of the country.”
He said that in a bid to address that they had set up, in conjunction with the Midlands Regional Drug Task Force, a Community Harm Reduction and Family Support Service in Athlone.
This covers the four counties of Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath.
The review shows that 5,286 people attended their drug services in 2008.
Of these, 942 were new clients at their needle exchange programmes.
The review said this represented almost 20 new injectors per week, every week, over the course of the entire year.
“The figures here serve as a reminder that heroin use remains at very high levels and that significant numbers of new people are beginning to use heroin every year,” said the review.
It said 84% of clients were male. It said the average age of heroin users appeared to be getting older, with 85% of the total over 25 and almost half over 30.
“We now need a national network of crisis, treatment and family support services aimed at ensuring that help is available at the earliest possible opportunity, before problems become entrenched,” said Mr Geoghegan.
“The new National Drugs Strategy provides a framework for this but has made no commitment regarding resources. This is shortsighted.”
He said MQI also experienced a 12% increase in the number of interventions for homeless people in 2008.
“We provided 48,000 meals for homeless people, 4% more than in 2007. We expect even sharper increases in demand in 2009.”
MQI provides a range of services to drug users and homeless people, including medical interventions to people “acutely suicidal”.
Mr Geoghegan urged the Government not to repeat the mistakes of the 1980s, when public investment was slashed amid growing social problems.
The review is being formally launched today.
