Pubdate: Fri, 02 Jun 2000
Source: Irish Examiner (Ireland)
Copyright: Examiner Publications Ltd, 2000
Contact:  http://www.examiner.ie/
Author: Caroline O'Doherty

MORE RESOURCES NEEDED IN CITY AS DRUG ILLNESS CLAIMS EIGHTH

HOSPITALS remain on alert after another death from the mystery illness 
striking heroin addicts was confirmed yesterday.

Officials from the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) have now 
formally identified 15 cases of the illness among heroin users in the region.

A female drug user who died on Wednesday morning was yesterday identified 
as the second woman to die and the eighth fatality in total. A further four 
people are still receiving treatment in hospital and three others have been 
discharged.

Tests concluded yesterday ruled out the illness as the cause of 11 other 
drugs related deaths investigated by the ERHA, but the most recent death 
dashed hopes that the illness had run its course as it was the first fresh 
case in a week.

The Fianna Fail chairman of the ERHA, Ivor Callely, warned last night that 
the level of extra staffing and resources being put into drug treatment 
services to meet the crisis could not be sustained indefinitely.

The authority has assigned extra outreach workers to parts of Dublin where 
heroin addicts are known to be continuing to inject the drug despite 
warnings to either smoke it or switch to methadone.

Extended hours, extra rooms and additional staff have also been made 
available at a number of the city's 15 treatment clinics and extra mobile 
units are on the road.

But while Deputy Callely was confident that the cause of the illness would 
be identified soon, opposition members said a more comprehensive response 
to the crisis was required.

"We have a Dublin wide emergency situation on our hands and the Government 
must take the responsibility for dealing with it," said Labour Party 
spokesman on social affairs, Tommy Broughan.

"Only those presenting themselves for treatment are actually getting 
updated information of the risks of injecting heroin. The vast majority of 
addicts are not in contact with treatment and do not keep up to date with 
media reportage on the issue."

Deputy Broughan called for additional staff to be deployed to work with 
voluntary and community organisations on the ground in making contact with 
addicts not attending the clinics.

Deputy Callely defended the official response to the problem, saying while 
he was greatly concerned about the deaths, he was satisfied the ERHA was 
reacting adequately.

But he called on the families, friends and acquaintances of drug users to 
play their part in driving the safety message home. "It's only by everyone 
participating that we will be able to address the situation."

The ERHA remains in close co operation with the Center for Disease Control 
in the United States and health officials in Glasgow, where 13 deaths have 
taken place out of 30 cases of the illness.

Experts now believe the characteristics of the illness point to a bacterial 
infection but they have yet to pinpoint the bacteria responsible.

- - An ERHA freephone helpline for users concerned about their symptoms has 
been set up at 1800 459 459.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D