THERE are five heroin treatment clinics in Dublin run by the Eastern Health Board - Baggot Street, Amiens Street, Cherry Orchard, Ballymun and Blanchardstown. There are 1,400 Dublin addicts receiving methadone treatment and more than 500 on a waiting list. The EHB estimates that another 500 would avail of treatment if it was available.
The clinics are "chocka", according to Fergus McCabe of the Inner City Organisations Network (ICON). "It's chaos. The doctors and nurses are being stretched to their absolute limit."
The EHB proposes to increase the number of methadone treatment places to 2,400 by the end of the year through the implementation of a pilot scheme for the provision of methadone treatment by GPs, expanding the programmes in some community drug centres, opening new centres and establishing the country's first mobile "methadone bus". Also proposed are a regional 24 hour helpline to provide an emergency response service and parenting programmes for drug using parents. Liaison with the Prison Service is to be strengthened.
While ICON welcomes the expansion of services, Mr McCabe says an integrated and coherent approach to the whole drugs issue is lacking. "The three strands, of treatment, prevention and law enforcement must be integrated. Resource allocation is ridiculous."
Of the £65 million earmarked to tackle the crime and drugs problems, £10 million is being spent on treatment and prevention of drug addiction. According to an EHB document, citing two separate econometric studies in the US . . . for every pound spent on treatment there was a seven times saving and the largest savings are due to reduction in criminal activity".
"Tough decisions have to be made about public money," says Mr McCabe. "We are talking about enormous resources being put into some of the most deprived areas in this city if we are to be really serious about treating this problem. We are in this for the long haul."