Targeting HarmResponding to Public Drug Use in Dublin

Dawn Russell – May 6th 2015

Public Drug Use in Dublin

It’s not good for anyone

• For public:• Discarded equipment• Perceived danger

• For users:• Health risks• Demeaning

• For health professionals:• Interventions• Service management

Police Partnerships with individual stakeholders or stakeholder groups should be maintained and further enhanced to improve positive intervention initiatives such as the recent ‘Arrest Referral Pilot’ between the Gardaí and the Ana Liffey Drug Project and the weekly reports and joint planning between Dublin City BID and the Gardaí in the target area.

Ana Liffey Drug Project

Health Service Executive

Dublin City Council

An Garda Siochana

1. Agreed: To endorse the “Housing First” model and support its introduction as a mainstream programme. So that it can realise its objectives as set out in 2014, there is a need to increase the provision of housing stock, both private and social. This is an initiative targeted at people experiencing rough sleeping.

2. Agreed: To highlight the cutbacks in daytime services and the need to facilitate and support existing structures and services.

3. Agreed: To support the establishment of residential crisis stabilisation/detoxification units that target people with problematic poly-substance use (including alcohol) and multiple needs.

4. Agreed: There is a need to engage more GPs, moving from different levels (1-2) of service. The implementation of the relevant recommendations of the report on the Opioid Treatment Protocol by Professor Michael Farrell and Professor Joe Barry will assist in this respect.

5. Agreed: To support, in principle, the introduction of a safe injecting facility pilot project, based on good practice.

6. Agreed: To develop a public information/communication strategy to help address the negative perceptions of the city as an unsafe place to be. This should be evidence-based and informed by accurate facts, both about the nature of the problems that exist and the existing responses to them.

Secure stakeholder support, plan and pilot the provision of Medically Supervised Injecting Centres. Secure resources for and pilot Low Threshold Residential Stabilisation Services.

Dawn RussellHead of Services

Ana Liffey Drug Project

www.aldp.iewww.drugs.ie