New Cork senator calls for decriminalisation of drugs and improvements to addition services

Ireland's National Drugs Strategy 2017-2025 is to end this year, and a Cork senator has called for decriminalisation of drugs and for better addiction services, including more support and protection for staff.

However, not enough progress has been made on implementing the current strategy, said Nicole Ryan, Sinn Féin senator, who was inspired to change career to work in addiction services and advocate for better legislation following the death of her brother at a house party in 2016.

Ms Ryan will be advocating for improved drug legislation, she said: “There was an Oireachtas committee set up, and recommendations were proposed, including decriminalisation: That’s a recommendation that I and Sinn Féin would agree with.

“We would hate to see these recommendations put on the back burner. During the elections, everyone was shouting about decriminalisation and now it’s just an afterthought.

“The National Drugs Strategy is a phenomenal document; it’s coming to an end this year and it seems the only action from it that has been taken so far is the supervised injection centre in Dublin. While it’s great to see it, we’ve been crying out for one in Cork.”

The Dublin centre opened at the end of last year, and decisions will be made on whether or not a similar centre is possible for Cork.

This would be subject to an 18-month pilot and with potential planning and construction, it would be more than two years away, if approved at all.

Worrying

This was a worrying timeline, Ms Ryan said.

“In Cork and nationally, people are not just using on streets in city centres, this issue is in every rural community and every tiny village, and it affects all kinds of people. The Government needs to start looking at it as an epidemic that’s always been there, but has gotten worse.

“Addiction services are at capacity, and they’re crumbling.

“Funding for these services is horrendous. People are working hard, but many service users are on a merry go around: They either keep going in and out, they die, or if they get really lucky they get out, but not many do.

“There have been a couple of losses of life in Cork city in recent weeks, and it’s so hard to see; services are on their knees and even then they’re not accessible to everyone.”

Ms Ryan said: “My area, of Cork North West, would be more rural, so people suffering with addiction have to go to the city to link in with services, unless they are one of the lucky few who can afford private therapists.

“Even the private services and therapists are at capacity and have huge waiting lists, and when you are in addiction, waiting six weeks for an appointment can be the difference between life and death.”

Pittance

The services and their capacity would be improved with better pay and conditions, she said: “People working in the sector are highly skilled, but the pay does not reflect that; what they’re getting paid is a pittance, especially with the cost of living rising.

“People who work in addiction services see some of the most traumatic things I’ve experienced walking into work, knowing I’d have to see a client and having a genuine fear for my life. We give care to vulnerable people, but staff don’t get that care and support back.”

Ms Ryan called for a focus on decriminalisation, highlighting that it was not the same as legalisation, but noting that the two are often muddled.

“Decriminalisation means not penalising the person, so people are not thrown into jail for using drugs.

“Many people who are using are in the throes of addiction; they are not bad people, but sick.

“There are many paths in to addiction. Nobody says, as a five-year-old, they want to shoot up heroin; it’s not something people aspire to and I think more compassion is needed.

“Instead of penalising people, we could be using the resources currently put in to the criminal-justice system to keep people in that cycle, and instead try to get them help, because I don’t think anybody on this Earth wants to be in active addiction.”

Importance 

Decisions would have to be made about how many times someone could be caught before potentially being penalised, she said, and where drug use would be legally allowed, which highlighted again the importance of having supervised injection services.

“These centres save people’s lives. They mean people aren’t overdosing and dying on the street, but they also allow for a moment of intervention,” Ms Ryan said.

“Shame can stop people reaching out for help, but in a safe space they could be offered a cup of tea and a chat and it could change everything. Bit by bit, you build a relationship with users who might not trust services or people or anyone.

“Data shows that if we decriminalise, there will be a surge in use, but it will eventually level down.”

She concluded: “The Government needs to take this seriously; everyone knows somebody who is either in addiction or has passed away from it and it’s heartbreaking: Something needs to be done.”