The Irish Medicines Board (IMB) has defended a decision taken last year to recommend banning the sale of St John's Wort over the counter and making it available under prescription only. In the board's annual report for 1999, Mr Frank Hallinan, chief executive, said the board took the decision solely to protect public health. "None of the other motivations which have been attributed to us by various people came into our consideration," Mr Hallinan said. St John's Wort is a herbal medicine used in the treatment of mild to moderate depression and was sold until January this year in health shops and over the counter in pharmacies. Of the 993 requests made to the IMB for documentation under the Freedom of Information Act in 1999, 951 were from members of the public relating to St John's Wort, according to the annual report. [continues 189 words]
Over 12 per cent of those who took part in a survey on drug use said they had taken cannabis, while 25 per cent said they knew someone with a drug problem. The survey was carried out by the Drug Misuse Research Division of the Health Research Board and the results are published today. Over 1,000 adults were interviewed for the survey, which took place between February and April 1998. Some 77 per cent said all illegal drugs were equally harmful to health, while over 40 per cent said drug users could become dependent on drugs after just one experience. Half those surveyed said regular use of cannabis was just as dangerous to health as regular use of heroin. [continues 168 words]
The Minister for State with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy, Mr Eoin Ryan, is reviewing a proposal to introduce injecting rooms for heroin addicts. The proposal was submitted to the National Drugs Strategy Review by the Merchants Quay Project, the State's largest voluntary drugs project, and would involve providing supervised rooms in which drug addicts could inject heroin at cubicles with clean equipment. A spokeswoman for the Minister said they were looking at the proposals submitted and at successful drug services used worldwide. "We are looking at all international best practices," she said. Specifically, the spokeswoman said they were examining injecting rooms as used in Switzerland. [continues 388 words]
A consultant in Glasgow has said he hopes to have found a cause by next week for the mysterious deaths and illnesses among heroin-users in Scotland. Dr Laurence Gruer, a consultant in public health medicine with the Greater Glasgow Health Board, said specialists in Glasgow and Atlanta were focusing on a bacterium which grows in the absence of oxygen. When drugusers inject heroin into dead tissue or muscle, instead of veins, they are susceptible to the bacterium. "Some people are working through the weekend to push things on as fast as they can," Dr Gruer said. Dr Joe Barry, a public health specialist with the Eastern Regional Health Authority, said they were not as definite about the cause of the illness, which has led to eight deaths in Dublin. [continues 340 words]
All seven heroin users who died as a result of "an unidentified severe illness" were men, the Eastern Regional Health Authority confirmed last night. The confirmation that all cases involved men rules out two women from investigations into the illness. The deaths of Ms Rosie Lakes and Ms Maureen Gleeson are under a separate, unrelated investigation by the gardai. The US government's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta is working with the authorities in Dublin on the investigations into the deaths. [continues 383 words]
The Eastern Regional Health Authority has said seven heroin users have died since the beginning of the month due to an "unidentified severe illness". A total of 14 heroin users were admitted to hospital during this period. Those who died had abscesses on their legs, arms and buttocks, according to gardai, which may have been due to injecting heroin into muscles instead of veins. But it is still not known how this could have led to the deaths. The health authorities have said the deaths might have been linked to contaminated heroin. [continues 498 words]
A number of deaths due to heroin use in Dublin have been linked to deaths in Glasgow, where 11 heroin users have died recently. The Eastern Regional Health Authority confirmed that four of the five deaths in Dublin "fit the case definition" of "an as yet unidentified severe illness occurring in heroin users in Glasgow". A total of 25 users were admitted to hospitals in Glasgow, including 17 women, the Glasgow health board said. Of the 11 who died, eight were women. Five additional people were admitted to hospitals in Stirling, Lanarkshire and Grampian. [continues 201 words]
Hospitals in Dublin have been put on alert after a number of unexplained deaths involving heroin-users. The Eastern Regional Health Authority has informed casualty units in Dublin hospitals that the deaths of some heroin users in the last two weeks could be due to contaminated drugs. It has asked for information from hospitals on any new cases. The health authority confirmed that five of the 10 heroin users admitted to hospital between May 13th and May 24th have died. It said four of the deaths were similar to a cluster of deaths in Glasgow, where 11 people died. Three of the remaining patients have been discharged and two are still being treated in hospital. [continues 456 words]
Local opposition is preventing projects to deal with the drug problem being set up in areas where poverty is in close proximity to affluence. In the Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown drug task force area, locals voted 60 to six against setting up a unit in Dun Laoghaire for 12 recovering users. "This was for rehabilitation, it wasn't even the sharp end," said Mr Jim Ryan, co-ordinator of the task force. The task forces were set up two years ago by the then minister of state with responsibility for the national drugs strategy, Mr Chris Flood, to help address the problem in areas worst hit by drugs. [continues 776 words]
The Eastern Health Board plans to open five new addiction centres before the end of the year, but is awaiting planning permission and community acceptance for some of the centres. Addiction centres dispense methadone and provide educational, medical and counselling services for addicts and their families. The new centres are part of an overall plan by the health board to expand the number of facilities for drug addicts. In St Mary's Hospital, Phoenix Park, a 20-bed unit is being developed which will provide care for addicts after detoxification. Thirty detoxification places and additional rehabilitation places are to be provided at a centre in North Fredrick Street. A Drugs Task Force is being planned for the Bray area by the Minister for State, Mr Chris Flood. [continues 209 words]
