Children 'still dying in their hundreds' from drugs, warns support organisation

Last year 786 children died of a drug-related death, says National Family Support Network.

Children are still dying in their hundreds and the devastating impact on their families is the hidden cost of the drugs crisis, a family support organisation has said.

It also called on the State to take meaningful action to combat the “horror” of drug-related intimidation.

The National Family Support Network said that support workers were needed and welcomed government indications that this was due to start happening.

Speaking at the network's service of commemoration and hope, the organisation's outgoing CEO Sadie Grace, said: “Our partners in the Health Research Board reported last year that in 2017, 786 of our children died of a drug-related death."

“We do not have the most current figures for 2018, again due to the pandemic. But we know there is not much change. Our children are still dying in hundreds.” 

She said: “These figures are devastating and reflect the many families left to grieve the loss of their loved ones."

Ms Grace said that living with a family member who has an addiction to drugs/ alcohol, whether or not bereavement has taken place, was "a major life stressor".

She said: “We know of friends and peers who have become sick, stressed, and anxious and experienced both physical and emotional health impacts as a result of living with a family member in addiction.

“These families represent the hidden costs of this crisis and when family members pass away prematurely due to health impacts brought on by familial addiction, we would argue that these too are drug-related deaths.” 

Ms Grace, who retires in the coming weeks after giving 27 years to family support, said the network had achieved a lot in its 21 years.

She said: “We have come a long, long way; we have secured the drug-related deaths' index to record the death of our loved ones, advocated advanced bereavement specific supports for families and greater access to naloxone, developed interventions to help families experiencing drug-related intimidation, and helped hundreds of families pay for funeral expenses, with the generous support of the archdiocese of Dublin.” 

She said the network continued to call for:

• family support co-ordinators to be based in every drug taskforce area;

• prioritise actions in the National Drug Strategy for families, including supports for kinship carers and respite for families;
• specific national bereavement support services for families;
• meaningful action on the issue of drug-related intimidation, “a horror which we know haunts families all over Ireland”.

Ms Grace said drug strategy minister Frank Feighan indicated late last year that there will be a number of family support co-ordinators put in place in the very near future, which she said was “very encouraging”.

NFSN: 01 8980148; [url=https://www.fsn.ie/]fsn.ie[/url]