Drug users need to be better-informed as to the risks of contracting HIV and other viruses when sharing any equipment, not just syringes, according to a report published today by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD).
Ms Mairéad Lyons, Director of the NACD, said "there is strong evidence to show that non-injecting equipment, such as spoons, syringes and water containers are also associated with increased risk of contracting diseases".
According to the report, entitled A Review of Harm Reduction Approaches in Ireland and Evidence from the International Literature, young drug users with a shorter injecting history are the most at risk of contracting HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.
The report was commissioned by the NACD and carried out by a team from Dublin City University. Speaking at the launch the chairman of the NACD, Dr Des Corrigan, said that harm-reduction services should be able to cater for the provision of a range of drug-taking equipment and not just syringes.
Restricted opening hours and the limited number of needle-exchange services also contributes to the sharing of equipment, according to the report.
"If a drug user has a craving they are not going to wait until the needle exchange is open," Dr Corrigan said.
Mr Noel Ahern, the Minister of State with responsibility for the National Drug Strategy, said the Government "obviously need to improve the services".
The NACD is advising the Government to look at alternative approaches to harm-reduction such as a community pharmacy needle exchange or by extending the opening hours of current needle exchange services to outside normal working hours.
The report also found that harm reduction services are mainly based in the Eastern Region and that range of services on offer varies between places.
