Charity concerned at rise in injection drug users
A Dublin-based charity today revealed it was deeply concerned at the rise in the number of new injecting drug users availing of their health services.
Merchants Quay Ireland, which works with homeless people and drug users, said the number of new injecting users attending their Health Promotion Unit during 2005 increased by 6% to 450 on the previous year.
The director of Merchants Quay Ireland Tony Geoghegan said: “We are greatly concerned that the numbers of new injectors we are seeing remains so high. Changing trends and patterns in drug use, such as the increased availability and use of cocaine, have also impacted on our services.
“Our city centre based Health Promotion and needle exchange programmes remain very busy, a fact that reflects the need for accessible needle exchange services in all areas where injecting drug use is an issue.
"All the evidence suggests that the earlier we engage with injecting drug users, and the more accessible services are, the greater the uptake of those services and the more positive the outcomes”.
The services annual report also found a significant number of people from European Union states who moved to Ireland were seeking help from their homeless services.
Mr Geoghegan said the country was now 10 years into an economic boom and had the resources needed to address both the drugs and homeless issues.
“We have seen a sharp decline in unemployment and many other social benefits. We now have clear evidence from the National Advisory Committee on Drugs that drug treatment works.
“We will soon have a new plan aimed at ending long term homelessness in Dublin by 2010. The Government has the resources needed to effectively address the twin crises of problem drug use and homelessness,” he said, calling for immediate action.
Mr Geoghegan said the reluctance of the state to act on the matter of people from the new EU states being left homeless was leaving voluntary groups struggling to cope with it.
“We have seen an increase in the number of people from the new EU member states for whom the dream of well paid employment and a better life has unfortunately ended in homelessness and disillusionment. This growing phenomenon poses its own particular challenges for us as service providers,” he said.
“If we are to effectively support homeless persons and drug users from Ireland’s new communities additional targeted funding needs to be put in place. The continued reluctance of the state to address this issue impacts negatively on voluntary groups like ourselves who are struggling to address this crisis."
