Pubdate: Wed, 27 Jun 2001 Source: Irish Times, The (Ireland) Copyright: 2001 The Irish Times Contact: http://www.ireland.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/214 TD CALLS FOR TARGET TO REDUCE HEROIN DEATH TOLL No targets have been set under the National Drugs Strategy (NDS) 2001-2008 to minimise the harm done by addicts who continue to put themselves at risk through drug abuse, the Dail heard. The rate of HIV transmission through intravenous drug abuse continued to rise as did the incidence of hepatitis C, Mr Joe Higgins (Socialist) told the House. No reduction target had been set in either case. "There should be a target to reduce deaths caused by heroin, particularly from overdosing, of which there were about 86 last year." This was a dramatic statistic for a small country and the deaths were confined to a relatively small area, he said. The NDS, launched last month, by the Cabinet committee on social inclusion, was the first occasion in which all elements of drugs policy in Ireland had been brought together in a single framework, the Minister of State with responisbility for the National Drugs Strategy team, Mr Eoin Ryan said. He was answering questions about the Cabinet committee on social inclusion on behalf of the Taoiseach. The committee had met five times to date this year and was scheduled to meet again on July 26th. A further four meetings were planned before the end of 2001. The committee had approved 11 new local drugs task force action plans and allocated pounds 6.9 million to projects. It has also approved pounds 3.7 million for 19 projects under the special premises initiative for task force areas. The committee had approved over pounds 46 million under the "young peoples facilities and services fund" since it was established in 1998, the Minister said, which included funding for 97 facility projects and 168 service projects. "The primary focus of the fund is on local drug task force areas and selected urban areas - Galway, Limerick, south Cork city, Waterford and Carlow - where a serious drug problem exists or has the potential to develop." At present there were approximately 13,500 addicts, some of whom did not want treatment. In response to Mr Jim Mitchell (FG), the Minister said 40 per cent of those on the heroin substitute, methadone, were "back to work" and over 70 per cent were no longer on heroin. There was much criticism of methadone, he said. A range of options was needed for "those who present for treatment". The Minister agreed with Mr Tony Gregory (Independent) that it was "very disturbing" when people on treatment were "sanctioned" by having their methadone entitlement summarily reduced. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens