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“Ireland has a drugs problem. But beyond this simple statement we must also recognise that Ireland's drugs problem is primarily an opiates problem — mainly heroin. And beyond this, we must recognise that Ireland's heroin problem is principally a Dublin phenomenon.” — Pat Rabbitte

Heroin

1970

Heroin use in Ireland has always centred around Dublin, and to a lesser extent Cork city. Heroin abuse became a major problem in inner-city Dublin in the late 1970s. Prior to the 70s, there was no evidence of anything more than isolated use of heroin. In December 1968, the then Minister for Health, Seán Flanagan, established a working party to investigate the extent of drug abuse at the time and advise the government. Their 1971 report couldn't find any evidence of significant use of heroin, which they attributed to the difficulty of obtaining supplies at that time. Drug use was limited mostly to cannabis and LSD. These drugs were seen as part of student subculture; Dr. Hugh Byrne, a TD debating what was to be the 1977 Misuse of Drugs Act, described Trinity College Dublin as “a nest and a hive for the production of LSD [...] leaflets containing the formula of LSD have been freely sold around the campus”. He blamed this activity on foreign students in areas of “advanced study”

The main treatment centre for drug users was at Jervis Street Hospital. The National Drug Advisory and treatment Centre was founded there in 1969. In 1973, the Coolmine therapeutic community was founded as a voluntary body to provide a structure for people to “maintain a drug-free existence”.

In 1979, there was a dramatic increase in supply of heroin to Western Europe, usually attributed to the fall of the Shah in Iran and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This marked the start of an epidemic in inner-city Dublin.

1980

The number of heroin users in Dublin continued to grow in the early 1980s. The 1983 Bradshaw Report found that in north central Dublin, 10% of 15—24 year olds had used heroin within the previous year, the figure was 12% for 15—19 year olds and 13% for females of the latter age group. The report also confirmed Dublin as a centre for heroin use, with only three or four heroin users in Cork and Galway.

Following this report, the government created a Special Governmental Task Force on Drug Abuse in April 1983. Their report recommended funding community facilities in deprived areas, but this was at odds with government policy and the time, so the report went unpublished. The government's position at the time was that drug abusers were primarily victims of their own choices, rather than their socio-economic circumstances. The Misuse of Drugs Act 1984 was enacted to provide for tougher punishments than the 1977 Act.

The 80s also saw the rise of community groups which organised themselves to rid their local areas of drugs. Priests, politicians and even IRA figures took part in residents' associations in areas such as Fatima Mansions, the Hardwicke Street flats, St. Teresa's Gardens and Dolphin House. Groups met to name and shame drug dealers, giving them the choice to either stop dealing or to get out of the area. These actions moved onto patrols by residents, checkpoints to search vehicles for drugs, forced evictions and other vigilante actions. These local groups got together and adopted a constitution in February 1984, naming themselves ‘Concerned Parents Against Drugs’.

The Drug Treatment Centre Board moved to Trinity Court in 1988 following the closure of Jervis Street hospital.

The most significant event of the decade was the arrival of the HIV/AIDS epidemic to Ireland. The first diagnosed case of AIDS was in 1982. Early cases before 1987 were found in homosexual men, this soon spread to intravenous drug users, overtaking cases amongst homosexual men. A survey by the Department of Health in 1986 found that 30% of IV drug users were HIV positive.

1990

There were an estimated 13,460 opiate users in Ireland in 1996. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ireland was most active in the intravenous drug user population. Treatment in centres such as Trinity Court required a commitment from the patient to achieve abstinence from drugs. In light of the HIV epidemic, this policy was revised in 1992 to one of harm reduction. This different approach recognised that the harms of drug use, such as the spread of HIV, were of a greater danger to society than drug use itself. Harm reduction was implemented in the form of methadone maintenance and needle exchange programmes.

The first needle exchange opened in 1989 and there were about eleven others by the end of the 90s. There are now plans to offer needle exchange services at pharmacies.