Home > Substance misuse in the HSE South Eastern Area.

Carew, Anne Marie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8026-7228 (2010) Substance misuse in the HSE South Eastern Area. Drugnet Ireland, Issue 32, Winter 2009, p. 21.

[img]
Preview
PDF (Drugnet Ireland, issue 32) - Published Version
545kB

The Health Service Executive (HSE) South published the report Data co-ordination overview of drug misuse 2008 in August 2009.1 The report comprises sections relating to treatment  services, substance-related offences and cases dealt with by the Probation Service in the HSE South Eastern Area.  

The section on treatment services analyses data collected from statutory and voluntary drug and alcohol treatment agencies, acute general hospitals and psychiatric hospitals in the HSE South Eastern Area. Data from the drug and alcohol treatment services are returned to the National Drug Treatment Reporting System in the Health Research Board.
 
The total number of individuals seeking treatment in 2008 was 2,686, a decrease of 265 on the 2007 figure. Some 60 concerned persons (family members or close friends of substance users) contacted treatment services in the south east in 2008.
 
The combined total of continuous care clients and new referrals who were treated was 2,376. Of these: 
·       68% were male and 32% were female.
·       13% were under the age of 20, and 41% were aged between 20 and 34.
·       Alcohol (62%) was the most common main problem substance for which treatment was sought, followed by heroin (12%), cannabis (11%), and cocaine (5%). Cannabis, which had been second in this ranking for a number of years, was overtaken by heroin in 2008.
·       The numbers seeking treatment for alcohol and cannabis have decreased annually from 2007 onwards. Up to 2007, cocaine figures were rising, but the numbers seeking treatment for cocaine decreased in 2008. The numbers seeking treatment for heroin, MDMA, amphetamines and volatile inhalants increased.
 
A total of 1,972 clients exited the services in 2008. Less than half (44%) of these clients completed treatment; 27% refused further sessions or did not return for subsequent appointments; 13% did not wish to attend further sessions as they considered themselves to be stable; 11% were transferred to another site for further treatment; 4% exited because of non-compliance, 1% exited for other reasons, and 0.6% died.
The client’s condition on discharge was classified by service providers as stable if they had responded to treatment, and unstable if they had not responded. Of the 1,972 cases analysed, 1,347 (68%) were stable on exit from the services, 597 (30%) were unstable, the condition of 17 (0.9%) was classified as ‘not known’ and 11 (0.6%) had died. 
 
Data presented in this report are useful for planning future services.

1. Kidd M (2009) Data co-ordination overview of drug misuse 2009. Waterford: HSE South.

Item Type
Article
Publication Type
Irish-related, Open Access, Article
Drug Type
Substances (not alcohol/tobacco)
Issue Title
Issue 32, Winter 2009
Date
18 January 2010
Page Range
p. 21
Publisher
Health Research Board
Volume
Issue 32, Winter 2009
EndNote
Accession Number
HRB (Available)

Repository Staff Only: item control page