Heroin substitute seekers numbers decrease

SEVENTY-TWO people in the Western Health and Social Trust (WHSCT) were being prescribed substitute drugs to wean them off a variety of substances, including heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines, cannabis, codeine and paracetamol, at the end of March this year.

A new report from the Department of Health (DHSSPS) shows that of 576 clients in contact with Substitute Prescribing treatment services during 2009/10 across Northern Ireland more than one in ten were receiving treatment in the Western Trust (13 per cent).

The Western Trust reported the third highest incidence of referrals for Substitute Prescribing per 100,000 people with (24 clients per 100,000 population).

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But this was down on 2008/9 with the number of clients in contact with services decreasing from 80 to 72 over the year.

Heroin was the most commonly reported main drug of misuse in the area with 51 per cent of clients addicted.

This was followed by Other Opiates (33 per cent), Cannabis (32 per cent), Benzodiazepines (25 per cent), Codeine/Paracetamol (25 per cent), Dihydrocodeine (21 per cent), Methadone/Buprenorphine (13 per cent) and Other Drugs (13 per cent).

Less people here reported they had injected drugs than anywhere else in Northern Ireland at 54 per cent. And the Western Trust also had the lowest proportion (15 per cent) of clients in receipt of methadone in Northern Ireland.

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Testing for drugs associated infections was also thorough in the Western Trust; 55 per cent of clients were offered tests for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C - 62 per cent of those offered the tests, took them.

Twenty-six per cent of clients that underwent a salivary or urinalysis test had sample clear of illicit drugs, while 17 per cent of these clients failed one test and a further 57 per cent failed more than one test.

Additionally, 94 per cent were receiving counselling compared to 87 per cent in the South Eastern HSCT and 62 per cent in the Northern and Belfast HSCTs. And 49 per cent were involved in Harm Minimisation Work in the Western HSCT.

Prescribing responsibility remained with specialist services for 45 of the 52 (87 per cent) stabilised clients in the Western Trust.