Clean needles still unavailable to addicts

A Government-appointed expert group said six out of the 10 Regional Drug Task Forces (RDTFs) didn’t provide a needle-exchange service, despite having injecting drug users in their areas.

The report said task forces which did have needle exchanges, namely in Dublin and the east coast, did not have a 24-hour service or any weekend service.

Among its recommendations, the expert group said:

• Needle exchanges should be set up in all regional and local drug task forces.
• Needle vending machines should be piloted in inner city Dublin as a means of ensuring 24-hour access to sterling injecting equipment.
• Needle exchanges should provide foil and pipes to users who are still smoking drugs to stop them progressing to injecting.

“The review of the current provision of needle exchange clearly highlights the fact that, despite the identification of service needs and the inclusion of specific actions in the NDS (National Drugs Strategy) on development of services, provision is still largely concentrated in local drug task force areas with inadequate coverage at a national level despite the evidence of drug misuse throughout Ireland,” said the expert group.

The report, Needle Exchange Provision in Ireland, was conducted by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD) and the National Drugs Strategy Team (NDST).

“The diffusion of heroin use across the country, the persistent injecting culture within networks of heroin users, the increased availability and use of cocaine and crack (by opiate users in particular) and their associated risks, reflect evolving patterns of drug use and risk,” said the report.

It said their recommendations were aimed at reducing rates of new Hepatitis C and HIV infection and the burden of liver disease in the community.

It said six RDTFs had no needle exchange services, although three (Western, North Eastern and Midlands) are developing services, while one other (South East) is discussing it. The North West is investigating the need, while the Southern has no programme.

Cork is the only local drugs task force (LDTF) which doesn’t have a needle exchange service.

The report said Merchants Quay Ireland in Dublin, the busiest exchange in the country, dealt with people in Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Offaly, Wicklow and Westmeath.

The group suggested the Prison Service examine introducing needle exchanges in prisons in a way that didn’t compromise security.

The report said drugs users are becoming infected with HIV and Hepatitis C in prison and Ireland had one of the highest rates for Hepatitis C in Europe.

Source: Cormac O'Keefe, The Irish Examiner, 02/02/2009