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Merchants Quay Ireland and Ana
Liffey Drug Project, nonprofit organizations that provide services to people
with addiction issues, reported that most addicts now used several different
drugs, which meant that single-drug detoxification programs did not match
addicts’ needs. A survey of 388 needle program clients indicated two-thirds
used multiple drugs during the past month: 30 percent used two drugs; 25
percent used three drugs; 12 percent used four drugs; and 2 percent used five
drugs. The drugs used most often included heroin (86 percent), prescribed
methadone (49 percent), benzodiazepines (34 percent), cannabis (24 percent),
alcohol (22 percent), and cocaine (6 percent).
The report recommended “supervised
injecting” centers similar to models in Sydney and Madrid to lower the risk of
HIV and hepatitis C. The survey indicated that 45 percent of Ana Liffey Drug
Project and Merchants Quay clients had hepatitis C. Twenty-seven percent of
survey respondents stated they shared syringes, which increased the risk of
hepatitis C and HIV transmission.
Merchants Quay Ireland Chief
Executive Officer Tony Geoghegan recommended developing polydrug detoxification
regimens and increasing testing for hepatitis C and “other blood-borne” viruses
to reduce the spread of the viruses and improve the health of the clients.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
