381 people sought help for a Wexford drug addiction service last year. Most are now turning from drugs like heroin to tablets and more synthetic drugs.
That’s according to Paul Delaney, coordinator at the Cornmarket Project in Wexford. He provided the figures when speaking to Alan Corcoran on ‘Morning Mix’.
This comes after it was announced that planning permission was granted on Merchants Quay in Dublin to have a safe facility set up there for drug users. “Maybe It’s a good time to start the conversation about a possible safe injecting facility in Wexford” said Paul. He believes maybe a mobile injecting facility might suit the population of Wexford.
The country’s first medically supervised drug injection facility will be located in the city centre for an initial period of 18 months.The facility will have seven injecting booths. Along with staff space, an after-care area and will be integrated with the other services currently provided by Merchants Quay Ireland. The facility will operate three sessions by day, Monday to Friday, and two sessions on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Cornmarket Project in Wexford is an Addiction Support Service that offers Counselling, Family Support and a range of other services to help those who face drug addiction.It was established in 1999 as an inter-agency community based treatment and rehabilitation programme supporting ex- prisoners, those with prior criminal convictions and substance misusers to move back into a stable and productive lifestyle. Cornmarket operates from premises based in Wexford Town, New Ross, Enniscorthy and Gorey and throughout the rest of the County through the provision of an outreach services.
Speaking to Alan Corcoran on ‘Morning Mix’ Paul says the drug scene is changing. He says that while heroin is still a problem young people are turning to other drugs. ” There’s a sea change in drug use. It’s [heroin] not the issue in Wexford at the moment. It’s not the growing issue that it was 5 or 6 years ago. We’re seeing a change .” Paul added that younger people are now taking more synthetically artificial produced drugs like tablets. ” It’s a very hidden problem – a lot of them often mascarade as legitimate drugs in other words prescribed drugs like benzodiazepines, tablets and those types of drugs. Young people are buying those for very cheap. These drugs distort their thinking ability. We also having problems with cocaine and crack cocaine.”
You can hear Paul Delaney’s full interview with Alan Corcoran on ‘Morning Mix’ here:https://pod.space/morningmix/as-an-injection-facility-for-drug-addicts-opens-in-dublin-we-chat-comprehensively-to-paul-delaney-of-wexfords-cornmarket-project
‘Morning Mix’ is on air Monday to Friday from 10am to 12pm on South East Radio.
