asked the Minister for Health the number of deaths in the last year for which figures are available associated with the misuse of (a) drugs, (b) smoking and (c) alcohol.
Written Answers. - Substance Abuse.
206.
It is not possible to determine accurately the numbers of deaths attributable to the misuse of drugs. Such deaths may be registered as due to various direct causes but it is not posible to isolate the number of deaths in which drugs mis-use was a factor.
A number of causes of death are regarded as smoking-related. These include coronary heart disease; diseases of other blood vessels (including stroke); bronchitis and emphysema; cancer of the lung, bronchus and trachea; cancers of the mouth, larynx, oesophagus, pancreas, bladder and kidney and peptic ulcer. The number of deaths attributable to all these causes amounted to approximately 17,321 in 1985. While tobacco smoking is involved as a cause in many of these conditions other factors such as environmental conditions and old age are also involved.
The number of people who died from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis of the liver in 1985 was 96. This disease is associated with alcohol abuse which may also be a contributory factor in deaths registered as due to other causes.
207.
asked the Minister for Health the amount of money provided in 1986 for the prevention of the harm caused by the misuse of (a) drugs, (b) smoking and (c) alcohol.
Expenditure on the prevention of harm caused by the misuse of drugs, smoking and alcohol from the Health vote in 1986, to the extent that such expenditure can be separately identified and quantified is as follows:
Drug abuse: £200,000 to the Coolmine Therapeutic Community for both treatment and preventive services. Coolmine is actively involved in prevention, particularly through education of parents; £160,000 by the Health Education Bureau for education about drug abuse; £30,000 to Trinity College for the Diploma Course in Addiction Studies. This course provides specialised training for workers in direct contact with drug abusers and their families; $5,000 to the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control. The principal aim of UNFDAC is to limit the supply of drugs to legitimate requirements by putting and end to illegal or uncontrolled production, processing and manufacture, making use of enforcement, crop substitution and other methods as appropriate.
The work of the Drug Unit in Jervis Street includes an educational and preventive element. It is not possible to quantify the amount of expenditure involved as it is included in the overall budget of the unit.
Smoking: £447,000 by the Health Education Bureau on measures to combat smoking.
Alcohol: £71,000 to the Irish National Council on Alcoholism for educative and preventive work on alcohol abuse; £43,000 by the Health Education Bureau on prevention of alcohol abuse.
At present treatment services for persons with alcohol-related problems are mainly based in psychiatric hospitals. The services are run by alcoholism counsellors who are also involved in educational and preventive work in the locality. It is not possible to quantify the cost of the preventive aspect of the services.
The Health Education Bureau and the health boards provide health education services which are part of the campaign to prevent substance abuse but which cannot be separately costed. These services include grants to voluntary bodies, the employment of health education officers, drug addiction counsellors and the library and research services of the Health Education Bureau.
Important preventive work to combat substance abuse has also been funded from the votes of the Ministers for Education, Social Welfare, Labour, Justice and by the activities of the Revenue Commissioners.