HEPATITIS C EPIDEMIC IS `ENGULFING' DRUG ABUSERS

An ``alarming'' Hepatitis C epidemic is engulfing drug abusers even
though simple State measures could minimise the risk, a new report has
warned.

Dr Des Crowley of the Drug Detox Unit at Mountjoy Jail said our
criminal justice system is negligent in not providing safe needles,
bleaching tablets and, above all, intensive education about preventing
viral spread within prisons.

He said 80-90pc of intravenous drug users are now Hepatitis C
positive, although harm reduction measures has meant a big reduction
in the spread of HIV. The report on drug abusers in Mountjoy says that
up to February of last year 187 prisoners had entered the detox
programme. Of these 173 completed the course and 14 failed to finish
the detox. However, the relapse rate once the addicts left prison was
78pc. Dr Crowley was critical of the lack of a methadone maintenance
programme in prison. ``I feel the provision of methadone maintenance
within the prison system could be the most significant intervention in
the reduction of criminal activity stays in prison and viral spread,''
he said.

He also described as ``disturbing'' the finding that half of those
treated in the detox prison programme had never worked.

``It reflects the amount of resources that are required to tackle one
of the underlying root causes of addiction long term unemployment. A
large amount of money is required to put in place suitable training
and rehabilitation courses both in the prison and the community.

``These rehabilitation courses need to reflect the needs of this
population group and need to focus on literacy, addiction and self
esteem.''

Dr Crowley's study found that the age of first contact with the
criminal justice system was 13.8 years and the average age of entering
prison 26.3 years.

``Most of our group have had over 13 years history of criminal
activity before being offered drug treatment and rehabilitation in our
criminal justice system,'' he said.

``This is a terrible indictment of our policy makers. If we could
target early drug offenders with drug treatment we may stop this
revolving door cycle,'' he added.

He suggested that, to pick up this group, young offenders should have
full drug assessments and urine analysis done when they come into
contact with the criminal justice system.

``While we hear a lot about drug use and availability of drug within
the prison system, a point which is rarely made is that prisoners use
far less drugs in prison than in the community. This is due to reduced
availability.

``Unfortunately because of the inconsistency in the heroin supply
prisoners tend to use sporadically and tend to use unsafely,'' he added.