Vital drug project set to close

THE ADAPT drug and alcohol service in Blanchardstown is set to close for good next month following a decision by the board of management to wind down the project.

News of the closure coincides with a recent report that highlighted an increase in substance abuse in the Dublin 15 area.

ADAPT (Addressing Drug & Alcohol Problems Together) based in Coolmine Industrial Estate was set up in 2013 following a merger of the Hartstown/Huntstown and Mountview/Blakestown community drug teams, which had been active since the late 1990s.

The project was set to be restructured but staff were informed last month that the board of management had decided to wind ADAPT down and they were to be made redundant on July 7.

Community activists and local drug workers have expressed shock at the news and say community representatives should have been involved in the process.

The project was supported with funding from the HSE, which has backed the board’s decision.

“The HSE fully supports the decision of the board and is working closely with them to ensure that all service users who were accessing services are linked in and supported by other organisations or service providers in the area and that there is a smooth transition of services,” said Donal Cassidy of the HSE Dublin North City and County. 

Local drugs workers in the area are now worried that services like a needle exchange, a drop-in service and unique programmes for helping people in early recovery will be jepordised.

Cllr Paul Donnelly (SF) said he was shocked when he heard the news at a meeting of the Blanchardstown Local Drugs Task Force.

“I have spoken to the staff and community activists and residents and there is a huge concern that the funding for drugs services for the communities of Huntstown, Hartstown, Blakestown and Mountview will be subsumed into the HSE addiction services that is methadone based and does not provide the range of holistic services provided for by ADAPT,” he said. “The only other community based service is in Corduff and Mulhuddart and they will not be able to take on the range of services available at ADAPT, including the five day week needle exchange service. 

A founding member of the Blanchardstown Local Drugs Task Force and ADAPT Cllr Donnelly said the closure would be “a very serious step away” from a hard fought for local concept of the community having a say the provision of community services. “Many of the services currently in place could only go in because the community trust many of the activists involved and unfortunately, many in the community do not trust the HSE,” he added.

“I can assure the community, we will not take this lying down and are already mobilising for a public meeting to ensure the community’s voice is heard”

“I will also be asking other communities throughout Dublin to also mobilise behind us as this could be the beginning of the end for community involvement in addiction services.” 

Last week Northside People revealed that a report from the Blanchardstown Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force (BLDATF) had found an increase in the use of several drugs in the area, including crack cocaine, alcohol, cannabis and benzodiazepines.

The Drug and Alcohol Trends Monitoring System report found the number of local drug users in treatment was increasing, drug use in schools was rising and there were gaps in local service provision.