Drug deaths - Pain behind statistics

The revelation that Ireland has the third highest number of drug-related deaths in Europe is horrifying.

The 2014 report of the EU drugs agency shows Ireland has 70.5 drug deaths per million people, compared with an EU average of 17.1 per million and is close to double the UK rate at 38 per million.

Behind the headlines lies the heartache. Oisin Crawford, 22, from Donegal, who died after taking a cocktail of pills at a friend’s flat, was more than a statistic to his family and friends. His funeral priest Daniel Carr appealed to youngsters to stay away from drugs.