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A TOTAL OF 736 people died as a result of drugs in 2016, a rate of two people a day, new figures from the Health Research Board show.
The number is an increase of one person from 2015, and relates to people who have died in Ireland as a result of poisoning, trauma or medical causes linked to drug use.
Of the total number, 549 were male and 187 were female.
The total number of deaths from drug poisoning decreased slightly in 2016 to 354 (from 365 the previous year).
Of the deaths from poisoning, alcohol was in implicated in 132 (37%) while it was solely responsible for 56 (16%).
Opiates were the main drug groups implicated in poisonings. Heroin was implicated in 72 deaths in 2016 compared to 83 in 2015, while methadone was implicated in almost one-third of poisonings (103) in 2016.
Deaths related to cocaine dropped slightly to 41 in 2016.
Meanwhile, prescription drugs were implicated in 258 (73%) of every poisoning death.
In relation to non-poisoning deaths, the number increased slightly with 382 deaths in 2016. Non-poisoning deaths were either trauma (172 deaths) or medical causes (210 deaths).
Commenting on the figures, Dr Darrin Morrissey, Chief Executive at the HRB, said the number of deaths represented the “impact that drug use has on families and society”.
“Behind these figures are lives lost and lives cut short. This HRB report clearly illustrates the impact that drug use has on families and society,” he said.
“The collection of data on drug deaths is essential to understand trends and help service providers design appropriate interventions and help save lives.”
Paula Byrne, CEO of homeless and addiction charity Merchants Quay Ireland, said the numbers were a “tragic reflection of a country failing some of its most vulnerable citizens”.
We are seeing more and more people in addiction left behind, and the longer we leave people in addiction, the more likely their mental health and drug use will worsen.
Ana Liffey Drug Project CEO Tony Duffin stressed that each one of those 736 deaths is “someone’s child, someone’s son, daughter or friend”.
“What is particularly concerning is that the average age of those that died was just 42, meaning a lot of years of life lost unnecessarily. In modern societies we don’t expect people to die at 42.”We know that people can and do recover from substance use issues in their lives, and we need to make sure that our policies increasingly support that happening.”
Dublin GAA star Philly McMahon has made several public calls for the decriminalisation of people who use drugs. Responding to these latest figures he said:
“Look, treating people who use drugs as criminals does not work and needs to change. Over 700 people died as a result of their drug use in 2016, yet if any of those people had come into contact with the state while in possession of drugs our response would have been to prosecute them using the criminal law.
That makes no sense – at the moment we’re treating people who use drugs as criminals and yet more people are using drugs than ever before, more people are dying than ever before.
The government launched its National Drugs Strategy, titled Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery in 2017. The strategy explicitly supports moving towards a “health-led response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland”.
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Why the hell are they putting a massive bridge down such a narrow street?
Its common practice now in congested areas of the world it simply gets rid of T – junctions Buy allowing traffic to flow over other crossing traffic.
Because they can.
The bigger question is why didn’t they close off the area during construction?!
Not this time.
It’s common practice for 3rd. world countries to put up these ‘jerry built’ constructions, like many of the shit housing developments here.
The obvious fault is the crumby Steel that was used. It’s twisted and crumpled like paper. Probably the Steel workers were getting kickbacks…. The weight of the poured concrete was just too much.
Insufficient falsework I’d say.
They should bring in the Chinese.
The Chinese know how to build sturdy structures ever since they built the Great Wall.
The Great Wall of China still stands proud even after thousands of years of earthquakes.
.
Dublin Cowboy Builders please take note.
I’ve been to India many times. I doubt there are any building regulations. If I want build a small extension in the uk there are hoops to jump through. It is checked by the council, I have to make changes, meet standards, resubmit plans etc…it’s frustrating but when you see stories like this perhaps those strict regulations are there for very good reason. Getting things done cheap might help rapid progress but it has consequences.
“We completed nearly 70% without mishap” – gold stars all around so! Talk about a glass half full attitude.
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