A homeless support service in Limerick city is experiencing drug overdose levels far higher than recorded elsewhere, research shows.
Three out of four homeless people attending McGarry House have overdosed in the past year — with such incidents happening at a rate of one every two weeks.
A study, the first of its kind in Ireland, said the overdose rate was at the “higher end of the spectrum”, ranging from 48% to 64%.
The report, published by Novas Initiatives, which runs McGarry House, said clients were becoming younger, engaging in more chaotic drug use and using more opiates, including heroin.
The report, entitled Heads Up, said the “fear of death was exacerbated” for staff trying to deal with pregnant women engaged in high-risk, drug use.
“We commissioned this research because nothing like this had been done before in Ireland,” said Anne Cronin, head of homeless services with Novas.
“People are dying unnecessarily from overdoses in Limerick and all over Ireland. These deaths are preventable.”
Source: Cormac O'Keeffe, Irish Examiner, 25/06/14
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