MQI calls for increased detox and rehab spaces in Ireland 

To mark International Overdose Awareness Day this Saturday, Merchants Quay Ireland is urgently calling for improved access to quality drug treatment.  

The addiction and homeless services charity wants to see the provision of lower threshold detox facilities, more rehabilitation spaces and more aftercare services. 

Eddie Mullins, CEO at Merchants Quay Ireland says:“While the opening of the Medically Supervised Injection Facility (MSIF) this year will play a part in saving lives, it is essential to expand the current capacity of detox and rehabilitation spaces in Ireland.

“The present infrastructure for addiction treatment is simply not sufficient to handle the demand. Increased funding and resources are essential to ensure timely and effective treatment for those in need.

“We are calling on the government to take immediate action.

“By expanding detox, rehab and aftercare spaces, we can provide the critical support needed to address this crisis head-on.

“We also need to see the provision of stable accommodation for people in recovery.

“Nobody should be facing homelessness in recovery, especially in the early stages, as this makes an incredibly difficult journey, an impossible one.”

The Health Research Board (HRB) revealed 409 people died from overdose-related deaths in 2020. This is a harrowing reminder that more lives are being lost to overdose than to deaths on our roads.  

Orla Condren, Deputy Head of Clinical Services at MQI elaborates: “Ireland has one of the worst records in Europe for overdose related deaths.

“Due to the stigma surrounding addiction, these deaths can be seen by some as ‘less important’ which is simply unacceptable. Behind each of the 409 deaths are people, who in many cases desperately sought help for their addiction.

“There are also devastated mothers and fathers, partners, friends and children who have lost someone they loved. International Overdose Awareness Day is a day to remember those we have lost and to take concrete steps toward preventing further tragedies.”