Hospitals in Dublin have been put on alert after a number of unexplained deaths involving heroin users.
The Eastern Regional Health Authority has informed casualty units in Dublin hospitals that the deaths of some heroin users in the last two weeks could be due to contaminated drugs. It has asked for information from hospitals on any new cases.
The health authority confirmed that five of the 10 heroin users admitted to hospital between May 13th and May 24th have died. It said four of the deaths were similar to a cluster of deaths in Glasgow, where 11 people died. Three of the remaining patients have been discharged and two are still being treated in hospital.
The Minister of State responsible for anti-drugs policy, Mr Eoin Ryan, said emergency methadone buses were being provided to dispense methadone to heroin users in areas where no such facilities existed. The health authority said that, following the deaths, the buses were being made available to heroin users who wanted treatment to come off heroin. A total of 400 people are on waiting lists for methadone.
A warning was issued to drug users yesterday concerning possible heroin contamination, saying there was need for extreme vigilance with regard to heroin use. The health authority said people should seek medical help immediately if they experienced any unusual illnesses.
Notices were also sent to all drug treatment clinics and health centres in the area as well as general practitioners. Staff were asked to report back to the health board with any information which might help clarify the causes of the recent deaths.
The health authority has speculated that the recent deaths might be due to contaminated heroin or a very pure batch of the drug.
Three people who died of heroin overdoses in the last six days include Mr Karl O'Shea, Mr Maureen Gleeson and Ms Rosie Lakes. Gardai say it is unlikely that Ms Lakes was killed because of her connections with investigations into the murder of Ms Sinead Kelly on Dublin's Grand Canal in June 1998, as has been reported.
Ms Gleeson and Ms Lakes were from Crumlin and Mr O'Shea was originally from Crumlin but was living in Rathmines. Although there had been reports that the three attended a party together last Monday, gardai in Terenure have said that only Mr O'Shea attended the party.
Post-mortems have shown that Ms Gleeson died from a ruptured spleen while Mr O'Shea died of pneumonia. Gardai said these conditions may have been brought on by a heroin overdose. Mr O'Shea was known to gardai locally who said he was in bad health prior to his death.
Insp Tom Mulligan in Crumlin said there was no evidence to suggest contamination of heroin and that the deaths at this stage were "suspicious". Samples have been sent to a toxicology unit to test for possible contaminated drugs.
Mr Tony Geoghegan of the Merchants Quay Project, the largest voluntary drugs support project, which offers needle exchange, said some of the people who had died from overdoses in recent weeks were known to staff.
Mr Geoghegan said that it was unlikely that pure heroin was causing death because this should not affect long-term users who would have a high tolerance to heroin.