Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Dec 2001

Vol. 545 No. 5

Written Answers. - Drug Related Deaths.

Bernard Allen

Question:

145 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on recent reports that Ireland continues to have one of the highest death rates among drug users in Europe and is well above the average in HIV infection among injecting drug users. [31150/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The 2001 annual report of the European Centre for Drug and Drug Addiction, EMCDDA, notes that Ireland reported a substantial upward trend in drug related deaths in recent years. However, this trend does not appear to have continued in 1999. In 1997 there were 55 drug related deaths in Ireland; there were 99 such deaths in 1998 and 80 in 1999.

Comparisons between countries should be interpreted with caution as not all countries use the same criteria. The drugs misuse research division of the Health Research Board is working with the EMCDDA to apply a new drug related deaths standard definition. The intention would be that this standard definition would be applied across EU member states and thus allow for the comparison of data. The drugs misuse research division has also set up a working group to examine ways of improving the reporting of drug related deaths in Ireland.

The EMCDDA report also shows that the number of new cases of Intravenous drug users who tested positive for HIV increased from 26 new cases in 1998 to 69 new cases in 1999. In 2000, the number of new cases in this category increased by one to 70. We must not become complacent about this infection. While cases of and deaths from AIDS are decreasing as a result of new treatments, the number of new cases of HIV is increasing in all categories. HIV is strongly linked with intravenous drug misuse. To respond to this health board services include methadone treatment and needle exchange in the range of services for drug misusers. These services have seen significant expansion in recent years.

The national drugs strategy 2001-2008, which was launched this year by the Taoiseach, contains 100 actions under the four pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment and research which will have a positive impact on the health status of drug misusers.