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Julien Behal/PA Wire

Treating heroin users with heroin works - EU report

A new report by the EU drugs agency has found supervised heroin therapy has helped ‘untreatable’ chronic heroin users.

SUPERVISED HEROIN USE has been found to be of more benefit to chronic and ‘untreatable’ heroin users than any other treatment, a new study has found.

Research by the EU drugs agency found that supervised injectable heroin treatment was more effective than other treatments, including methadone,  and led to substantial improvements in the health and well-being of chronic drug users.

Supervised treatment of medicinal heroin, which was first introduced in Switzerland in the 1990s, is legally available in six countries including Germany, Denmark and the UK.

Substitution drugs such as methadone have long been a mainstay of Irish drugs policy towards heroin users.

Under the treatment, supervised injectable medical heroin is delivered under direct medical supervision in specialised clinics in an effort to reduce patients’ use of ‘street’ heroin and involvement in crime.

The report found the treatment can lead to major reductions in drug users’ use of street heroin, major disengagement from criminal activities and marked improvements in how the addicts engaged with society, including a higher employment rate and more stable housing situations.

The report out today looked at the small minority of opioid users who repeatedly fail to respond to substitution drugs such as methadone as a way to be weaned off drug dependence. The findings suggested that supervised use of medicinal heroin can be an effective second-line treatment for the small and previously unresponsive group.

Experts described the development as ‘an important clinical step forward’ in the report out today from the EU drugs agency. The study was the first major overview to look at recent evidence and clinical experience in Europe and internationally.

Senator John Crown said in February that the current Irish drugs policy is not working and heroin in Ireland should be medicalised. The Senator proposed changing the laws around heroin to register addicts and provide them with heroin assisted treatment in a clean environment and under medically supervised circumstances.

“Failing to do something about this problem will not make it go away,” Crown, a consultant oncologist, wrote at the time.

Only one in ten opiate addicts are heroin free and only a handful of them become methadone free. We need to build a system which attracts addicts, helps them get out of crime, reintegrates them into society, and has the resources to help those who want to get clean to get clean.

Read the report in full here >

Column: The war on drugs isn’t working. We need to medicalise heroin.

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61 Comments
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    Mute Larry K
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:07 PM

    Porridge most days but sometimes treat myself to a bowl of wheetabix!! I’m living the dream

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    Mute jane
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:11 PM

    You rebel you.

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    Mute Peadar Ó Gréacháin
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:23 PM

    4 weetabix and hot milk, 1 Actimel, 1 half glass of Tropicana orange juice, it use to be a fag and a cup of tea, thanks to e.cig I look forward to my breakfast, a year in October.

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    Mute jane
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:24 PM

    Fair play to you Peadar.

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    Mute Buckwheat MacMillan
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:32 PM

    Jaysus, a fu€king Irish water jibe on an article about breakfast! Get on to politics.ie and moan all you want there

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    Mute jane
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:53 PM

    Wha?

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    Mute Peadar Ó Gréacháin
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    Aug 31st 2015, 2:54 PM

    Cheers Jane.

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    Mute Carmo Vanderval
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    Aug 31st 2015, 2:55 PM

    Wait I’ll fix this:

    I’d have a glass of water only I can’t afford it. Wha?

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    Mute andrew haire
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    Aug 31st 2015, 4:33 PM

    Four weetabix ? I’d say you’re quare and windy after that. Enjoy.

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    Mute jane
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    Aug 31st 2015, 4:50 PM

    Thanks carmo

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    Mute Sarah Clifford
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    Aug 31st 2015, 5:45 PM

    Not so healthy either that’s just a big load of sugar

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    Mute GameOverMan
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:22 PM

    Breakfast is the reason i get out of bed…

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    Mute TotalScrotal
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:14 PM

    Porridge isn’t boring,theres about a million different ways to spice it up,cinnamon and raisin one of my favorites.
    It’s cheaper, healthier and will keep you satisfied for longer than whatever super laden crap purveyor you have lined up to sponsor these article’s

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    Mute TotalScrotal
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:15 PM

    Sugar laden

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    Mute Denise Houlihan
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    Aug 31st 2015, 3:54 PM

    Sliced banana in the bowl, porridge on top. Chopped nuts and berries on top and a good drizzle of honey. Delish! Good to go til lunchtime.

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    Mute Joanna
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:29 PM

    Is it still breakfast if I have it a couple of hours after getting up? I’m usually not hungry till then.

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    Mute Bobby Jones
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:19 PM

    just a coffee :(

    50
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    Mute AARO-SAURUS
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:33 PM

    A box of amber leaf for me.

    47
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    Mute Brian Ó Dálaigh
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    Aug 31st 2015, 4:09 PM

    Jaysus, I couldn’t have a whole box myself!!

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    Mute AARO-SAURUS
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    Aug 31st 2015, 4:11 PM

    The breakfast of Champions.

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    Mute Caoimhe Katie
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:39 PM

    I jump outta me leaba every morning for two poachers.

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    Mute BevinArmageddon
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:10 PM

    Egg, bacon and spinach wrap, everyday.

    43
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    Mute BevinArmageddon
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    Aug 31st 2015, 2:30 PM

    as in crispy american bacon :)

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    Mute Lily
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:12 PM

    I personally not a breakfast fan. I am in work at 7 and have lunch at 1 thats my breakfast, rarely will I have breakfast on my day off, if I do its usually a fry or poched eggs n toast.

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    Mute liam ward
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:06 PM

    Can’t afford to eat breakfast every morning with d price of it gone sky high n this government wants me to pay for more like Irish water I’ll go to jail first I’d be better fed roof over my head and a cot to lie in best of Al no bills to worry about

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    Mute IrishGravyTrain
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:11 PM

    Ffs

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    Mute Rebel Rebel
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:11 PM

    ye the price of corn flakes is fierce shocking these days.

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    Mute Ray Farrelly
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:12 PM

    Liam don’t forget you also get payed.

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    Mute BevinArmageddon
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:12 PM

    Yeah, the government and their cornflakes tax, b@stards.

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    Mute Paul Mc
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:26 PM

    Bejasus I know times are hard but surely a bowl of porridge or a slice of toast is within most people’s budget unless of course you are homeless which thanks to this and the last government is increasing.

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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:42 PM

    Do see lots of workers grabbing a container of coffee and rushing out to the van or car . Not for me

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    Mute andrew haire
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    Aug 31st 2015, 2:08 PM

    Or porridge Liam. With milk about 20c, very good for you. Just a little water required.

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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:38 PM

    Full bowl of porridge every am tea and toast.

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    Mute Sticky Micky
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:09 PM

    It’s not the most important meal of the day…. Look up intermittent fasting

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    Mute josecafe
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:12 PM

    I can imagine what you do instead of eating when fasting sticky.

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    Mute Sticky Micky
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    Aug 31st 2015, 1:15 PM

    Have to conserve energy on a fast

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    Mute josecafe
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    Aug 31st 2015, 2:55 PM

    so you sit back and get someone else do it sticky good man.

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    Mute Sticky Micky
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    Sep 1st 2015, 11:56 AM

    I like a bit of jam on it

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    Mute David Mc Gloin
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    Aug 31st 2015, 2:22 PM

    Ostrich fillet diced and pan-fried in full fat butter with spinach and sweet potato with 3 hard boiled eggs..

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    Mute selfsustainable
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    Aug 31st 2015, 2:42 PM

    Notions^^^

    54
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    Mute AARO-SAURUS
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    Aug 31st 2015, 4:11 PM

    Notions overdose.

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    Mute paul farrell
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    Aug 31st 2015, 6:39 PM

    Weetabix every morning

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