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In this issue
National Drugs Strategy and New Programme for Government
Fergus McCabe
Children’s Bail Supervision Scheme evaluation
Policing with trust
LSE report on Irish response to Covid-19
Covid-19 and community alcohol detoxification
Caring for opioid drug users during Covid-19: the Irish experience
Sharing the Vision: a mental health policy for everyone
Needle exchange provision during Covid-19 pandemic
Crack cocaine use in Ballymun
Irish drug use findings from European Men-Who-Have-Sex-With-Men Internet Survey
National Sexual Assault Treatment Unit Services annual report, 2019
Hepatitis C virus infection in Irish drug users and prisoners – a scoping review
Estimating the seroprevalence of untreated chronic HCV infection in Mountjoy Prison
Ana Liffey Drug Project annual report, 2018
Adolescent Addiction Service report, 2020
An Garda Síochána annual report, 2018
Updates
In brief
Senior management perspectives on needle exchange provision in Irish prisons
Prison visiting committee annual reports, 2018
 
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) will published the European drug report 2020: trends and developments on 22 September. Download the report at www.emcdda.europa.eu/edr2020
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) will published the European drug report 2020: trends and developments on 22 September. Download the report at www.emcdda.europa.eu/edr2020
National Drugs Strategy and New Programme for Government

On 2 July 2020, Frank Feighan TD for Sligo-Leitrim was appointed Minister of State for Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy. This follows on from the publication of Programme for Government: our shared future.1 The new Programme for Government commits to taking a health-led approach to drugs misuse and continuing to deliver on the existing national drugs strategy (NDS), Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery (2017–2025).2

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Policy
National Drugs Strategy and New Programme for Government
by lucy Dillon
 
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) will published the European drug report 2020: trends and developments on 22 September. Download the report at www.emcdda.europa.eu/edr2020
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) will published the European drug report 2020: trends and developments on 22 September. Download the report at www.emcdda.europa.eu/edr2020

On 2 July 2020, Frank Feighan TD for Sligo-Leitrim was appointed Minister of State for Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy. This follows on from the publication of Programme for Government: our shared future.1 The new Programme for Government commits to taking a health-led approach to drugs misuse and continuing to deliver on the existing national drugs strategy (NDS), Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery (2017–2025).2

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Fergus McCabe
Tribute
 
Photo of Fergus McCabe speaking with microphone

We were very saddened to learn of the recent death of Fergus McCabe.  Fergus was a brilliant organiser, advocate and campaigner and brought a deep knowledge of drugs issues to all his work.  He made valuable and incisive contributions to successive drugs strategies.  He was also an avid reader and champion of Drugnet Ireland. We are grateful to his friend and colleague, Anna Quigley, Co-ordinator, Citywide Drugs Crisis campaign for the short tribute below.

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Children’s Bail Supervision Scheme evaluation
by Ciara H Guiney

In December 2019, Minister Katherine Zappone launched the Evaluation of the Bail Supervision Scheme (BSS) for Children report.1 The evaluation, commissioned by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA), was carried out by the Research Evidence into Policy Programmes and Practice (REPPP) team from the School of Law in the University of Limerick. The overall aim of the evaluation was to examine behavioural change outcomes and processes that contributed to those outcomes between May 2017 and June 2018. DCYA commissioned the social justice charity Extern to deliver the ‘pilot’ BSS intervention to children deemed at high risk of being detained in a prison in Dublin (p. 9).

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Policing with trust
by Ciara H Guiney

In July 2020, the Ana Liffey Drug Project published a report on the proceedings of the Policing in Changing Policy Environments event, held at Dublin Castle in June 2019.1 Forty national and international experts came together with the aim of sharing knowledge and understanding as well as exploring challenges and experiences in the areas of law enforcement and public health. The Chatham House Rule was applied to the event and to the final report. The event consisted of two sessions: the morning focused on providing information (presentations and discussions), while the afternoon involved interaction (plenary sessions and facilitated working groups).

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Sharing the Vision: a mental health policy for everyone
by Lucy Dillion

A new national mental health policy was published in June, Sharing the Vision: a mental health policy for everyone.1 It succeeds A Vision for Change (AVFC), which has guided policy in the area since 2006. Sharing the Vision is described as a ‘refreshed policy’ in the foreword to the document by Minister for Mental Health and Older People Jim Daly TD. It carries forward elements of AVFC deemed to be of ongoing relevance but also includes many new elements based on the findings of a process of research and consultation underway since 2017. The new policy is described as being one that ‘focuses very strongly on developing a broad-based, whole-system mental health policy for all of the population that aligns closely with the main provisions of Sláintecare’ (p. 13).

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In brief

Effective monitoring and reliable data are essential for economic and health planning and for supporting an informed and politically active citizenry. The constant updates on the impact of the Covid pandemic help us to keep informed, but they can also be wearying, and their contribution to our knowledge depends on our capacity to absorb difficult information.

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Prevalence
Crack cocaine use in Ballymun
by Seán Millar

Crack cocaine has become increasingly problematic for some marginalised communities. The recent identification of particular sites in Ballymun, Dublin associated with crack cocaine use has raised serious concerns of an emerging crack cocaine problem in the local area, similar to other communities. Despite the increase in levels of usage and treatment-seeking for crack cocaine use, there is limited national and international research available on the nature and extent of its use. Local anecdotal evidence in Ballymun suggests that the problem is widespread and having a detrimental impact on the health and wellbeing of users, their families, and the wider community. While drug issues and related harms are not a new phenomenon in this community, this is the first time that Ballymun has faced a crack cocaine issue of such proportions. In light of these developments, a recent study explored crack cocaine use experiences in the Ballymun community with a view to informing the establishment of a local policy and practice/intervention evidence base for crack cocaine in Ballymun.1

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Irish drug use findings from European Men-Who-Have-Sex-With-Men Internet Survey

Most men who have sex with men (MSM) and who use recreational drugs do so on a sporadic basis, for specific purposes such as partying, socialising, or having sex. However, evidence suggests that among MSM who use drugs, there is a preference for ‘sex drugs’, including alkyl nitrites (‘poppers’), crystal methamphetamine (‘crystal meth’), club drugs (including ketamine and ecstasy), and new psychoactive substances.1 Use of these drugs is associated with higher-risk sexual behaviours and sexually transmitted disease acquisition.2 Little is known about the prevalence and determinants of drug use among MSM in Ireland. However, the number of HIV diagnoses has been increasing among MSM in Ireland in recent years and drug use among this population may be a contributory factor.

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National Sexual Assault Treatment Unit Services annual report, 2019
by Catherine Walshe

Sexual Assault Treatment Units (SATUs) provide clinical, forensic, and supportive care to victims of sexual violence in Ireland. There are six SATUs across Ireland, including Waterford, Mullingar, Dublin, Cork, Galway, and Letterkenny. SATUs offer three streams of care for survivors of sexual violence. These include forensic examination following the reporting of the crime to An Garda Síochána; health assessment and care without reporting the crime to An Garda Síochána; and healthcare and forensic examination with safe storage of evidence allowing for subsequent reporting to An Garda Síochána.

 

The national SATU services publishes an annual report on service provision. Identifying patterns and trends in service utilisation provides each SATU with the opportunity to adapt to service user needs. This article summarises the 2019 annual report.1

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Hepatitis C virus infection in Irish drug users and prisoners – a scoping review
by Seán Millar
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Estimating the seroprevalence of untreated chronic HCV infection in Mountjoy Prison
by Seán Millar
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Senior management perspectives on needle exchange provision in Irish prisons
by Seán Millar
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Prison visiting committee annual reports, 2018
by Seán Millar

A visiting committee is appointed to each Irish prison under the Prisons (Visiting Committees) Act 1925 and the Prisons (Visiting Committees) Order 1925. Members of the 12 visiting committees are appointed by the Minister for Justice and Equality for a term not exceeding three years. The function of prison visiting committees is to visit, at frequent intervals, the prison to which they are appointed and hear any complaints that may be made to them by any prisoner. They report to the Minister for Justice and Equality regarding any abuses observed or found, and any repairs which they think are urgently needed. Prison visiting committee members have free access, either collectively or individually, to every part of the prison to which their committee is appointed. Information from prison visiting committee reports relating to drug use in prisons for 2018 is summarised below.1

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Upcoming events
Updates
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Covid-19
LSE report on Irish response to Covid-19
by Lucy Dillion

In July 2020, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) published a report on Ireland’s response to Covid-19 in relation to people who are homeless and use drugs, entitled Saving lives in the time of COVID-19: case study of harm reduction, homelessness and drug use in Dublin, Ireland.1 The report is a policy briefing that outlines the policy changes made in Ireland to harm reduction services in response to Covid-19. It argues that lives within the target group were saved as a result of these changes and that the policy changes should be maintained in the post-Covid era.

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Covid-19 and community alcohol detoxification
by Cathy Kelleher
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Caring for opioid drug users during Covid-19: the Irish experience
by Vivion McGuire

The Covid-19 pandemic presents a major challenge to healthcare services and the provision of care. A commentary on the Irish experience of challenges faced by people who use opioids (PWUO) and the service providers working with this vulnerable population was published in Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems.1 The authors also describe and discuss the evidence guiding the measures implemented to reduce the risks associated with Covid-19 to Irish opioid agonist treatment (OAT) services.

 

Various national and international bodies have highlighted additional dangers faced by PWUO and produced guidelines for drug treatment and harm reduction practitioners. To this end, the Health Service Executive (HSE) published guidelines for general practitioners and pharmacies providing OAT services to those at greatest risk at this time.2

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Needle exchange provision during Covid-19 pandemic
by Seán Millar
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