New National Drugs Strategy must turn the tide on overdose deaths and rising cocaine fatalities – Sherlock

• Welcome reduction in drug-related deaths, but any death is one too many. Ireland still recorded 343 drug-induced deaths in 2022
• HRB data shows drug-related deaths impact people across society, with the majority in employment and 69.1% living in stable accommodation
• Sharp increase in cocaine-related deaths demands an urgent health-led response
• Urgent need to expand medically supervised injection facilities and extend their remit to include smoking of drugs
• Overdose education and widespread availability of naloxone is critical

Labour’s Health Spokesperson Marie Sherlock TD has called for urgent action to respond to shifting drug trends highlighted in the Health Research Board’s latest report on overdose deaths in Ireland, warning that rising cocaine-related fatalities must be met with a comprehensive public health response.

While welcoming a reduction in the overall number of drug-related deaths, Deputy Sherlock said the figures still point to an unacceptably high level of loss of life, with devastating consequences for families and communities across the country. Deputy Sherlock has called for expanded harm reduction and overdose response.

Deputy Sherlock said:

“I welcome the 8% reduction in drug-related deaths between 2021 and 2022 reported by the HRB. However, 343 people still lost their lives in a single year. That is 343 families grieving, and communities living with the ongoing trauma of addiction. Any death is one too many.

“The Minister must urgently expand access to naloxone and overdose education across Ireland, particularly in response to persistently high levels of opioid-related deaths, which remain among the highest in Europe. Harm reduction saves lives, and it must be at the centre of our response.

“What is especially alarming in the latest data is the sharp increase in cocaine-related deaths. One in three drug-related deaths now involve cocaine, and cocaine overdoses have increased by 259% over the past decade. This is a stark warning that current policies are not keeping pace with changing drug use patterns.

“This rise in cocaine-related fatalities underlines the urgent need to move decisively towards a health-led drugs policy. Criminalisation has failed to prevent harm. What is needed is early intervention, treatment, harm reduction and properly funded services that meet people where they are.

“The data also challenges outdated assumptions about who is affected by drug-related harm. More than half of those who died were in employment, and over two thirds were living in stable accommodation. Addiction does not discriminate, and neither should our response. A compassionate, public health approach is essential.

“We also cannot ignore the link between drug use and mental health. Two in five of those who died had a history of mental health issues. The lack of accessible, timely public mental health services is costing lives. We need a system that supports people, not one that punishes them, with services prioritised over sanctions.

“I am calling on the Government to clearly confirm its commitment to implementing all of the Citizens’ Assembly recommendations on drug use, including the decriminalisation of people who use drugs, a fully health-led model, and sustained investment in addiction and mental health services.

“The Minister must ensure that the new National Drugs Strategy builds on progress to date and acts with real urgency to reduce overdose deaths, address the surge in cocaine-related fatalities, and deliver a comprehensive public health response that saves lives.”