The Eastern Health Board is to more than double the number of its addiction centres, from seven to 15, allowing for the treatment of 1,000 additional addicts. Details of its plan to spend £14.25 million on drug prevention, treatment and rehabilitation services this year were announced yesterday by the EHB. The funding is part of the board's annual allocation from the Government. The EHB's chief executive, Mr P.J. Fitzpatrick, said the funding would expand drug services in counties Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare.
Dublin will get seven new drug addiction centres, three in inner city Dublin and four in the northern and southern suburbs. The centres are expected to be operational by the autumn, according to an EHB spokeswoman.
An emergency assessment service will be available at the addiction centres, aimed at eliminating waiting lists for initial assessments.
The number of satellite clinics will be increased from 15 to 32, which will allow an extra 600 clients to be treated. One of the new clinics will be in Co Wicklow and the rest are planned for greater Dublin.
Satellite clinics, some of which are based in local health centres, are managed by family doctors, whereas addiction centres are run by consultants.
The number of aftercare and rehabilitation units in Dublin is to be doubled to four. One will be based in Ballymun, the other in inner city Dublin.
The board also plans to appoint four additional education officers, bringing the total to 10. These officers work with voluntary and statutory authorities on developing anti-drugs education services. The new officers will be based in County Dublin. Counties Wicklow and Kildare already have one officer each.
The board's in-patient detoxification unit, Cuan Dara, at Cherry Orchard Hospital, Dublin, will be expanded and a 20-bed downstream unit and 12-bed in-patient stabilisation unit will also be opened in Dublin city.
The stabilisation and detoxification programme for young people smoking heroin will also be extended.
The board's freephone helpline and the mobile drugs treatment clinic which travels daily from Steeven's Hospital in Kilmainham to the north inner city and Ballymun will both continue. These services were established last year.
The number of drugs treatment places in the EHB area was increased last year from 1,861 to 2,776.
About 3,500 drug users were treated last year at addiction centres, satellite centres and by general practitioners. This is expected to rise to 4,500 this year.