Nearly 90 people have died from heroin and other opiates in Cork City in the past 11 years, according to coroner Myra Cullinane.
She told a public meeting of the Cork City Joint Policing Committee (JPC) yesterday that the first heroin-type death she investigated occurred in 2004.
That year, there were two deaths and they gradually increased to a peak of 17 in 2009. Last yea,r there were eight and four so far this year.
“I had never investigated a heroin death prior to 2004,” said Dr Cullinane. “Up to then, this was a city with no presence [of heroin], which was quite unusual in cities of the 21st century.”
Dr Cullinane said the vast majority of heroin users died from overdoses of a cocktail of drugs which also included benzodiazepines such as Valium and Xanex (downers), as well as methadone and alcohol.
She said it was very unusual that anybody would die of just heroin alone.
The coroner said there were 87 such deaths from 2004 to the present and the vast majority of victims were in the 25-29 age group, with 30-34 the next largest. Male victims far outnumbered female ones.
She also analysed where they had died and found the highest number, 28, had passed away at home, 22 in hospitals, eight in hotels, two at Kent Railway Station and even one in prison.
Dr Cullinane said none of those who died had been involved in a methadone treatment programme, or had engaged with drug prevention services.
Source: Irish Examiner, 19/05/15
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