In 2013, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) published the first edition of its International standards on drug use prevention.¹ The standards present an overview of the international evidence for prevention interventions and policies. A second, updated version produced in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) is now available.²

On Sunday, 26 August 2018, a special ceremony linked to the 10th International Council of Nurses (ICN) Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nurses (NP/APN) conference took place at De Doelen Congress Centre in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Addiction nurses from around the world gathered for the inauguration of the International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntNSA) Europe and the launch of the new website of the Netherlands Chapter of IntNSA.¹

The Joint Agency Response to Crime (J-ARC) is a multiagency response to the management and rehabilitation of offenders. It was established by An Garda Síochána, the Irish Prison Service, the Probation Service, and the Department of Justice and Equality in 2014. The main aim of J-ARC is to stop crime and increase safety in society by targeting prolific offenders that are considered guilty of the majority of crimes. J-ARC presented the findings of an evaluation of the effectiveness of three pilot initiatives – ACER3, STRIVE, and Change Works – that were developed to reduce offending behaviour.¹ Table 1 provides an overview of the main features of the three programmes.

In September 2018, An Garda Síochána (AGS) and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) published their biannual cross-border organised crime threat assessment.¹ The aim of the report was to provide insight into criminal activity on the island of Ireland.

Psychological trauma, such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), can have significant effects on an individual’s physical and emotional health. There is a relationship between exposure to childhood trauma/ACEs and future negative health outcomes as well as increased risk of alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, and homelessness.

The Tabor Group, a provider of residential and community-based addiction treatments in Ireland, has conducted and published the results of an external evaluation of their services.¹ The Tabor Group comprises three residential units: Tabor Lodge (primary treatment centre), Fellowship House (secondary treatment centre for males) and Renewal (secondary treatment centre for females) using the Minnesota Model, as well as supported accommodation in the community. In 2017, some 213 patients were admitted to their residential unit, Tabor Lodge, for treatment as well as providing structured support for their families.

Hepatitis C infection (HCV) is a major global epidemic with an estimated 399,000 people dying annually from HCV-related liver failure and cancer.¹ Unsafe injecting drug use is the main route of HCV transmission in developed countries, with an estimated 20 million people who inject drugs (PWID) infected worldwide.² Over one-half of Irish prisoners report a history of opiate use, with 43% reporting a history of injecting.³ A 2000 study estimated the prevalence of HCV infection in the Irish prison population at 37%, increasing to 81% in those with a history of injecting drug use.⁴ With recent advances in treatment regimes, HCV is now a curable and preventable disease and prisons provide an ideal opportunity to engage this hard-to-reach population. However, despite increased access to primary healthcare while in prison, many HCV-infected prisoners do not engage with screening or treatment.

Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) is a national voluntary agency providing services for homeless people and drug users. There are 22 MQI locations in 12 counties in the Republic of Ireland (see Figure 1). In September 2018, MQI published its annual review for 2017.¹ MQI aims to offer accessible, high-quality and effective services to people dealing with homelessness and addiction in order to meet their complex needs in a non-judgmental and compassionate way. This article highlights services provided by MQI to drug users in Ireland in 2017.