The Eastern Health Board is to press ahead with its plans to set up community-based treatment clinics for drug addicts at a number of key locations, despite objections from residents in some areas.
The board has confirmed that new clinics will be operating at five new further locations in its district by the end of the year. The areas to be provided with services are Crumlin, Loughlinstown, Finglas, Cabra and Arklow.
The board's chief executive, Mr Pat McLoughlin, appealed at the weekend to local communities where there are drug-abusers to support the setting up of drug treatment services in their areas.
He said major progress had been made in establishing such centres at 50 locations across Cos Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare, but further facilities were required.
He was speaking at a conference on "The GP and the Management of Drug Misuse" in St James's Hospital on Saturday.
"There are now approximately 442 people on a waiting list for drug treatment services, and it is imperative that we proceed with the establishment of additional treatment locations," he said.
"We will do this as sensitively as possible and carry out as extensive local consultation as possible, but not proceeding with the establishment of new treatment locations is not an option.
"It is our policy to provide treatment for drug-misusers in their own localities."
Mr McLoughlin said the board gives very careful consideration to the concerns raised by local people and community groups when establishing new treatment services.
"Chief among these concerns are local fears of loitering drug-misusers and an increase in nuisance and crime. The opposite is in fact the case. Our experience is that properly organised and secured drug treatment clinics pose no threat to anybody," he said.
The board is investing £17.6 million this year on drug education, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. It acknowledges that one of the greatest challenges facing it is the provision of services for drug-misusers.
There are estimated to be about 10,000 heroin addicts in the greater Dublin area, and there are smaller numbers of addicts in Wicklow and Kildare. Of these, 4,000 are receiving drug treatment either through clinics or GPs.
Addressing delegates, the Minister of State for Health, Children and Families, Mr Chris Flood, said he fully supported the health board's efforts to treat addicts in their own locality.
He noted that GPs played a pivotal role in this process and paid tribute to them for their contribution.
Mr Flood added that information available on drug misuse showed a worrying trend in relation to the increased availability and use of a range of drugs. He said there appeared to be a general acceptance by young people that most drug use, and recreational drug use in particular, was not hazardous to health.
"The challenge in the years ahead for parents, educators and those working with young people is to explode this myth and to develop strategies aimed at creating a greater awareness of the issues around drug misuse and helping young people to resist the temptation to turn to drug use as a way of coping with life," he said.