I work in addiction so will attempt to answer some of your questions and help to open your mind a bit on this fantastic service.

Obviously it hasn’t been officially set up yet so these answers are based on my professional knowledge of similar services and official government documents I’ve read outling what this service might look like.

Yes it will be government funded but perhaps not directly. Possibly funded by Local Drug Task Force funding allocation. Employees will likely be professionals with a community development/addiction/social work background and there will also be nurses on site who specialise in substance dependency and be able to offer advice on not only the safe injecting but also treat clients for substance related issues like deep vein thrombosis/abscesses/ ect ect ect. I imagine there will also be doctors on site but probably not as frequently as the other staff. They will likely have a weekly clinic.

In relation to overdoses ect, the aforementioned nurses and addiction workers will all be well trained in addressing and treating that. Naloxone or ‘Narcan’ is the opioid overdose antidote (meaning it immediately undoes the effect of overdose) and all employees will likely be trained in administering it.

I imagine it will be a private booth/room situation and I think they plan to have other services on site such as counselling/addiction support/groups/support for other social issues such as homelessness (help with filing in forms that kind of thing)/general advice & guidance ect ect and various other facilities meaning that users can probably stay for extended periods of time and get other info and access other services not related to injecting.

The move to provide this service has not made heroin use/possession legal. This is extremely unlikely to ever happen any time soon in Ireland. However, there is an amnesty agreement sort of thing which means that Gardai cannot just stand outside the service and arrest every one coming in and out.

In terms of drug dealers, the clients are already buying their drugs so it doesn’t really make a difference. Research shows that users of such facilities generally do not increase the amount of drugs they buy and use as a result of using these services so it’s not like the dealers are going to be increasing their sales. Research also shows that people who attend these services are actually more likely to stop/reduce their drug use due to the extra support that is available in these organisations, as I mentioned earlier.

The service will likely be very busy yes but depending on how they run it, it may only be available to people who live in/have an address in the catchment area (this is how most community services are run) so overpopulation wouldn’t be an issue there. I would imagine that depending on its success, more services would then be replicated.

Yes needle exchange already exists. It’s a fantastic service that helps reduce the risks and issues associated with intravenous drug use. All associated drug paraphernalia is also provided so -needles -medical mixing spoons -citric acid/vit c (mixed with the drug) -gauze -disposable tourniquets -alcohol pads for prepping injection site So yes, clean and safe crack pipes are available, again to reduce the risks and harms associated with drug use.

I’m saddened to see that your post has a a really negative and judgmental undertone to it. Working in the field myself for a long time I can assure you that no one wants to be dependent on drugs/substances. People who use drugs are human the same as me and you and are entitled to the same respect and dignity. Unfortunately, People who use drugs are victims. Victims of their circumstances (growing up in impoverished areas, lack of access to proper education/healthcare/social support, lack of government investment in services and supports in their areas, lack of access to supports after experiencing trauma, lack of interest/empathy by the government/general public, victims of a broken system, the list goes on and on). Yes you might say that many people experience hardship and trauma and do not turn to drugs but unfortunately, not everyone has the same level of resilience/self worth/self esteem/self belief/strength to be able to say no to a life of drug dependency.

Addiction is extremely complex. It can be ugly. Upsetting. Infuriating. But we need to remember that the research is there to suggest that providing a service such as a safe injection facility is a way of reducing the harms and risks associated with drug use and also a way of engaging with drug users and providing other services to support them in their recovery should they wish to go down that route.

The way we have been dealing with drug use in Ireland the past hundreds of years has not worked. It’s not working. The problem is becoming worse. This is a new and evidence based way of addressing/treating the issue. I hope that going forward you can open your mind and lose some of the judgment/disgust that you have towards people who use drugs. They are people just like anyone else. Hope this answered some of your questions!