Minister of State with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy, Catherine Byrne TD has today welcomed the publication of the 2017 National Drug-Related Deaths Index.
The report details the very real cost associated with drug addiction which showed 376 people died in 2017 due to drug and alcohol overdose.
Speaking today, Minister Byrne said:
For me, this is an unacceptable loss of life, and a personal tragedy for the families affected. This data highlights the importance of a public health approach to drug and alcohol misuse, as set out in our whole-of-Government National Drugs Strategy, ‘Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery’. Many drug-related deaths are preventable and through the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy we are progressing harm reduction measures to reduce the number of deaths among vulnerable drug users.
The Minister highlighted the reduction in the number of drug-related deaths among people who were injecting at the time of their death, from 57 in 2014 to 34 in 2017;
This significant decrease highlights the impact of harm reduction initiatives such as the national naloxone and needle exchange programmes. But we can do more to reduce deaths among injecting drug users. The Government decision to establish a medically Supervised Injecting Facility in Dublin city is a proactive response to the level of street injecting in our capital city and will minimise the harm that injecting drug use causes to individuals, their families and communities. I was hugely disappointed at the decision by Dublin City Council to refuse planning permission for this critical service. I outlined my support for this life-saving medical facility in my observations to An Bord Pleanála earlier this year, and I hope there will be a positive outcome.
Today’s report also reinforces the importance of the new Health Diversion Programme which the Government will implement in 2020 for those caught in possession of drugs for personal use. By providing a health response rather than a criminal justice one, we can pro-actively engage with people who use drugs and provide help for those most at risk of drug-related harm.
To support the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy, I recently allocated funding of over €2.3 million over three years for 13 strategic health initiatives across the country to improve access to drug and alcohol services for people with complex needs. These initiatives reflect regional priorities agreed between the HSE Community Health Organisations and the Drug and Alcohol Task Forces, and ensure that resources are targeted at vulnerable groups including young people affected by substance misuse, women who use drugs and alcohol, people who are homeless, and others with complex needs.
The Minister noted that a third of the drug poisoning deaths involved alcohol, with 61 deaths occurring from alcohol poisoning alone;
Government is actively tackling alcohol as a public health issue. The Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 aims to reduce harmful drinking and delay consumption by children and young people. Three sections of the Act came into operation on 12th November which will help to create an environment where children won’t be exposed to alcohol products or advertising. I welcome further measures coming into effect in 2020 and 2021.
The Minister also expressed concern at the increase in stimulant deaths from 48 in 2014 to 65 in 2017, which can be mainly attributed to cocaine and MDMA.
In 2018, I launched a harm reduction campaign in relation to cocaine and crack cocaine developed by the HSE and the Ana Liffey Drug Project. Earlier this year, the HSE developed a harm reduction campaign aimed at students and festival goers. In 2020, I am providing funding for an awareness campaign about the dangers of drug use among high-risk groups.
Finally, the Minister welcomed the marked reduction in poisonings from prescribable drugs, such as benzodiazepines and antidepressants, in light of the high proportion of poisoning deaths attributable to the use of these drugs. This may be credited to the advice issued by the Medical Council of Ireland, in September 2017, to doctors in relation to the prescribing of benzodiazepines, ‘z’ drugs and pregabalin to follow best practice guidelines and only prescribe benzodiazepines or similar drugs when absolutely required.