'We need to discuss supervised injecting facilities,' after residents found bag of needles
'If we continue to push it underground our communities will not be safe'
A Local Election candidate has said we need to discuss supervised injecting facilities (SIFs) following the shock discovery of a bag of drug paraphernalia found by a Carlow Town residents' association last week.
Residents in the Burrin Road made the worrying discovery on a green area close to their estate while carrying out a community clean-up. The bag contained used syringes and blood swabs and left residents feeling physically sick.
Adrienne Wallace, the People Before Profit election candidate in Carlow, said: "We were lucky that no young person stumbled across that bag, and lucky that no one accidentally stepped on a needle, but next time it could be very different.
"We have a duty of care to our community and the children growing up in Carlow. If we want to solve this problem safely we need a different approach. Serious drug use, like heroin, needs to be looked at as a health issue."
Ms Wallace added that "SIFs are a clean, safe, healthcare environment where people can inject drugs, obtained elsewhere, under the supervision of trained health professionals".
She said: "They offer a compassionate, person-centered service which reduces harm. A SIF can help health service staff to reach and support vulnerable people who often do not, cannot or no longer engage with existing health services.
"They provide people who use drugs with sterile equipment and safe disposal of such; counselling services; emergency response in the event of overdose; and primary medical care.
"Our main goal should be to help as many people recover from addiction. It should be seen as a health issue and as such treated in this manner.
"If we continue to push it underground our communities will not be safe from more finds like this but if we provide the facilities to encourage safe disposal we are being proactive about a serious issue.
"A lengthy consultation is needed with the community on this issue but I think it would be a move in the right direction."