On average, one person a day in Ireland dies by overdose, roughly twice the number that die on the roads. Ireland is reported as having the third highest level of overdose deaths per capita in Europe. Over the years my colleagues and I have seen first-hand the devastating effect these deaths have (as do any deaths) on the deceased’s family, their friends and the wider community. We have attended many funerals. We have worked hard in the aftermath of an overdose death to support loved ones. The age profile of those who die by overdose unfortunately means that many leave young children behind. This situation will continue unabated unless action is taken to reduce the number of overdose deaths in Ireland.
The problem is not insurmountable. Ireland has a small group of people at a high risk of overdose. It includes those who inject drugs and those who use multiple substances. Equally, there are a number of key evidence based initiatives which can be introduced to help reduce overdose deaths. International Overdose Awareness Day on Sunday provides an opportunity to consider what we should be doing to tackle overdose in Ireland. Here are three suggestions.
First, we should distribute naloxone among drug users and their families. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, effectively reversing the effects of having consumed opiates, such as heroin. Currently, it is not widely available in Ireland, although there is strong evidence for its role in addressing overdose. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs in the UK, in recommending that naloxone be made more widely available across that jurisdiction concluded that:
“The efficacy of naloxone is not in dispute. Naloxone is a WHO-recommended medicine, and efficacy has been proven in several published studies and pilots. Naloxone is a safe, effective drug, with no dependence-forming potential. Its only action is to reverse the effects of opioid overdoses, and it is already used by emergency services personnel in the UK for this purpose.”
Of the 365 overdoses in Ireland in 2011, opiates were implicated in at least 128. So, widespread naloxone availability is an obvious first step if we’re serious about reducing death from overdose. It is widely used in community settings in other jurisdictions – and is also used in the US. There are technical legal barriers to the immediate widespread introduction of naloxone in Ireland, and overcoming these barriers should be prioritised as a matter of urgency.
Source: Tony Duffin, Irish Times, 27/08/14
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