Heroin addiction is one of the greatest social problems of Irish society, a coroner warned tonight.
Dublin City Coroner, Dr Brian Farrell, acknowledged the lethal effects of the drug as he heard that two men had tragically lost their lives by injecting heroin.
A mother told the court how she found her son, Martin Smith (22), from Ferryman's Crossing in Dublin 1, curled up in bed after injecting himself.
The coroner, who passed a verdict of death by misadventure, said: "It is one of the greatest social problems of our society at the moment."
Martha Smith told the inquest that he was in good form when he left home at 8.30am on Wednesday, April 28th, 2004 to collect his welfare money at the Post Office.
However, she said when she came home that evening she discovered him wrapped up in the corner of the room and his body felt cold. "I knew he had taken drugs on and off over the years," she said.
The post mortem exam, which found he had died from morphine toxicity consistent with a heroin injection, showed there was a needle mark at Mr Smith's left elbow.
Earlier, the court heard that Joseph Fallon (41), collapsed almost immediately after injecting heroin in the kitchen area of his rented apartment. The married man, who was separated at the time, was discovered in the flat at Bunting Road, Walkinstown in Dublin, by relatives of the apartment owner on May 23rd, 2004.
Herbert Erb told the coroner's court that he broke into the bedsit after it was discovered it was locked from the inside.
The court heard that Mr Fallon was found lying on the floor - a syringe was found in the table cloth, while a spoon and lighter were on the floor beside him. Mr Erb said: "I felt the back of his neck he was so cold I knew he was dead."
Dr Farrell, who also passed a verdict of death by misadventure, said the drugs materials lying beside him showed he had collapsed suddenly after injecting. "This is something we have seen many times before at the coroner's court," he said.
The post mortem exam found he had died from heroin toxicity.
PA