Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 26 Mar 2002

Vol. 551 No. 2

Written Answers. - Drug Treatment Services.

Jim Higgins

Ceist:

303 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of heroin addicts in each of the years from 1997 to 2001 and to date in 2002; the locations of these addicts; the number currently attending treatment centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8200/02]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The covert nature of drug misuse means that it is difficult to know the number of people misusing drugs. Various estimates of the number of opiate misusers have been made and these range from 6,500 to 13,500. It is known also that the vast majority of opiate/heroin users reside in the greater Dublin area.

The number of people receiving methadone treatment for opiate addiction at the end of February was 5,958. Some 3,264 of these were attending treatment clinics in the Eastern Regional Health Authority area, 488 were attending the treatment clinic at Trinity Court, Pearse Street, 205 people were receiving methadone in prison, 71 were receiving treatment in clinics outside the ERHA, 1,832 were being treated by general practitioners in the ERHA and 98 were being treated by general practitioners outside the ERHA.

Details of the number of people on methadone treatment in the years listed by the Deputy are as follows:

Breakdown of patients	December, 1997	December, 1998	December, 1999	December, 2000	December 2001
ERHA Clinics	1,182	1,939	2,502	2,849	3,174
Provincial Clinics	n/a	n/a	n/a	41	66
Trinity Court	207	504	515	513	510
Attending GPs in ERHA area	1,470	1,167	1,252	1,574	1,782
Attending GPs outside ERHA	n/a	n/a	63	55	104
Prisons	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	229
Total number of patients	2,859	3,610	4,332	5,032	5,865

The National Advisory Committee on Drugs has approved a number of studies aimed at providing reliable national and regional statistics on the nature and extent of drug misuse which will give a clearer picture of the drug problem. These studies will particularly focus on providing a more up to date and accurate assessment of the prevalence of opiate misuse.