Understanding Problem Drug Use

• Hepatitis C and HIV occur in high proportions among injecting drug users as a result of unsafe injecting practices and needle sharing. Between 52% and 89% of intravenous drug users are Hepatitis C positive [2].
   
  
• A recent study of drug using women attending services of Merchants Quay Ireland indicated that 87% were Hepatitis C positive [3].
   
  
• Up to the end of 2004 injecting drug users (IDU's) account for 36.3 % (n=295) of AIDS cases in Ireland [4]. There has been a reduction in recent years in this category which may be linked directly to the expansion of harm reduction services [5].
   
  
• Needle exchange services have been shown to be effective in reducing risk (behaviour) and the incidence of HIV and Hepatitis C infection amongst drug users [6].
   
  
• There is only one full time needle exchange in Dublin for a least 14, 500 heroin users. All other services operate for just a few hours each week. None are open in the evenings or at weekends.
   
  
• The majority of people are injecting for one year at least before contacting services. This increases the likelihood of contracting HIV and/or Hep C through unsafe injecting practices [7].
   
  
• Women report higher levels of injecting related problems despite shorter injecting careers [8].
   
  
• It has been demonstrated that Needle Exchange Programme's provide Injecting Drug Users with opportunities to engage with a variety of healthcare services such as counselling and referral to drug treatment programmes [9].