Prison drug treatment expansion urged

The expansion of drug treatment in prisons, greater availability of needle exchanges and increased resources for community policing are among the recommendations of a review of the Government's drug strategy.

The Mid-Term Review of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-08, which was published yesterday, also recommends greater focus on the rehabilitation of former drug users.

Though the review was largely welcomed by groups working with drug users, there was criticism yesterday at funding levels to implement the strategy.

There was also criticism of the fact that the review was carried out by staff at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs - which oversees the strategy - rather than by independent consultants.

At the publication, the Minister with responsibility for the strategy, Noel Ahern, said the review showed "encouraging signs of progress" but added "drug misuse remains a major challenge for all of us".

When published in 2001 the strategy set out 100 "actions" under four headings, or "pillars" with its overall aim to "significantly reduce the harm caused to individuals and society" by drugs, by 2008. The four "pillars" are supply reduction; prevention and education; treatment, risk reduction and rehabilitation and, finally, research.

While "progress is being made across the pillars of the strategy", according to the review, "it does vary from action to action".

In a checklist of progress, the review finds that of the 100 actions, 49 are completed or almost so, progress has been made in 45 of them and in six "considerably more progress is needed".

For example, the strategy calls for the establishment of community policing forums.

The review notes: "Progress in extending community policing forums is slow." It says: "The level of Garda resources in local drugs task force areas should be increased and the additional resources should be assigned to community policing and the prevention of drug dealing".

It notes with "great concern" continued injection by drug users in prisons and calls for the expansion of drug treatment services to prisons outside Dublin.

Under the harm reduction heading, the review says that "in light of the ongoing prevalence of hepatitis C and HIV. . . the provision of needle exchanges and related harm reduction services should be expanded in order to ensure wider geographic availability and availability at evenings and weekends".

Responding to the review, Merchants Quay Ireland - the largest voluntary drug treatment agency in the State - welcomed commitments to expanding needle exchange services and to tackling risk-taking behaviour among drug users.

"It is now vital that the Government implements these recommendations with renewed vigour and that they provide additional money to fund the proposed expansion of services," said its director, Tony Geoghegan.

He also called for the establishment of "injecting rooms" where users could inject drugs in a "safe environment" and for the availability of alternatives to methadone for recovering heroin misusers.

Fr Seán Cassin of the Drug Policy Action Group, said the Government was not committing sufficient funds to implement the strategy.

He also said: "The absence of an independent evaluation [of the strategy] dilutes the capacity of this report to tackle vital issues."