Drug consumption rooms can play a role in reducing overdoses and encouraging hard-core addicts into treatment, according to the EU drugs agency.
The finding comes as drugs minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin considers legal proposals to set up Ireland’s first medically supervised injecting centre.
The proposals were drawn up by the Bar Council on behalf of the Ana Liffey Drug Project to combat the open injecting of drugs in Dublin city centre and the dangers posed to addicts and other people.
A special paper published yesterday by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, together with their annual report, shows that six of the centre’s member countries operate such centres.
It said there are 70 drug-consumption rooms in Denmark, Germany, Spain, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Norway and that France had recently approved a six-year trial project. In its analysis, the drug monitoring centre said drug consumption rooms provide a “local response to local problems”.
It said: “Drug consumption rooms can play a role in reducing drug-related harms (including overdose deaths) and serve as useful spaces to connect hard-to-reach drug users with health services.”
Source: Cormac O'Keeffe, Irish Examiner, 05/06/15
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