Fifty heroin users get treatment in Cavan

The drugs menace is beginning to take hold in Cavan and Monaghan with devastating consequences for families and young people - at least 50 full-blown heroin addicts are now availing of Methadone substitute in this area. While the HSE has confirmed to The Anglo-Celt that there are approximately 50 people availing of Methadone treatment in the Cavan/Monaghan region, the paper understands there are dozens more who either do not want to reveal their habit or do not have access to Methadone. Dozens of parents around the greater Cavan town area are now frightened about what might happen to their sons and daughters who have got caught up in the sinister drugs network. Parents claim that young people who can't pay their drug debts are being threatened with physical violence and even worse in some instances. jewellery and money are being stolen from parents by young people to pay drug debts or feed their habits. The co-ordinator of the Cavan Drugs Awareness team, Tim Murphy, said that in any economic downturn there is always an increase in drug and alcohol-related problems. A lot of the substances that were on sale in head shops have been made illegal, but the problem is that now many of those substances are available on the black market. They have left a legacy due to the fact a lot of people would have been introduced to mind-altering substances through head shop products. That demand for substances remains and the question must be asked will a high percentage of these people turn to street drugs. The Drugs Awareness office in Cavan town had in the region of 180 referrals in 2009 and those turning up at the centre would have been on various substances including heroin. During that time, they had three alcohol referrals to every heroin referral. Alcohol is a major problem in Cavan and Tim Murphy points out that alcohol users are more inclined to put their hands up and ask for help. Mr. Murphy who previously worked in the area in Merseyside points out that for every one that comes in for treatment for drugs, there are normally up to three who don't show up for such help. "There are definitely a lot of heroin users in Cavan but I could not put a definite figure on it," he said. The head shops introduced a whole new generation to various substances and we have had many referrals following psychiatric admissions. "Our referrals come in from Social Services; people walk in off the street but we have also had a lot from the psychiatric section in Cavan General," said Mr. Murphy. He said he is aware of drug related deaths during 2009 where prescription medication was involved, together with illicit substances. The Bailieboro Drug Awareness Centre opened in 2001, Cavan town in 2008 and the group has just recently opened an office in Monaghan. District Court Judge, Sean MacBride, is due to perform the official opening of the new Monaghan centre next Thursday, September 30. Meanwhile, Mr. Murphy has revealed that the waiting time for drugs treatment has usually been two weeks and that is now heading towards the three or four-week mark. The Anglo-Celt has learned that the prescribing of Methadone in the Cavan/Monaghan region is now at, or very near, capacity. The capacity caters for around 50 persons and there are two doctors prescribing. It is now understood that the majority of that number would come from the greater Cavan town area. Other sources close to the drugs problem said that the capacity to prescribe to around 50 people at present is not near enough in Cavan alone. There are also people out there who require access to a needle exchange programme and they are not getting it. The drug awareness centres do a lot of urine testing for the Probation Service and Social Services and the Courts Service. They are very grateful to Judge Sean MacBride for directing that court donations be forwarded to the centres. "We are funded by the Drugs Task Force and Judge MacBride's contributions through the courts have allowed us to develop and expand what we were doing," said Tim Murphy. He said the drugs menace is effecting people from all socioeconomic backgrounds - both male and female. Ecstasy is still around but the norm at present is to encounter people who are using more than one substance. Cocaine is available around the town and "it has become a lot more mainstream". It used to be a drug associated with affluent lifestyles but that has changed now to where some people see it as a normal part of a weekend night out, which is a "really worrying trend", according to Mr. Murphy. It has become a lot more accessible and many more younger people are using it. Prescription drugs now have a street value and they are being sold in Cavan. They include Diazepam and Xanix and sleeping tablets. They operate in a similar way to alcohol and have serious debilitating effects.