The Drugs Minister says addicts have a medical issue that needs to be addressed if we’re to stop treating them like second class citizens.
Aodhan O’Riordan was presented with a draft bill which could allow for the setting up of medically supervised injection centres.
The legislation was drafted up by barristers working as part of the voluntary assistance scheme of the Bar Council of Ireland.
They looked at the medical, legal and criminal barriers that would need to be changed to allow the centres to open in Dublin.
The group presented the bill to Minister O'Riordan today, who said:
“Either you view them as citizens with a need, or you view them as human litter. I’m of the view that you view them as people with a medical need who need a medical intervention”.
Emily Egan was the barrister in charge of the team who drafted the bill, she says they’ve stressed tested all aspects of it:
“We’re confident that if, as a matter of policy, it is decided to implement this proposal, the bill is legally sound”.
Tony Duffin from the Ana Liffey Drug Project, who asked the scheme to draft the bill, says it will go a long way to tackling the problem if it’s passed:
“We have a very serious problem with public injecting, especially in Dublin City Centre. The better was to manage that is to provide medically supervised injection centres to get people in off the streets, to reduce the risks of overdose, to reduce the risks of blood borne viruses. To stop or give people another option away from public spaces”.
Minister O’Riordan says his next step is to try and convince the Government and other bodies that this is a workable piece of legislation that will go some way in helping to deal with the drug problem.
