DRUG TREATMENT SPENDING

Sir, - Following last week's meeting of the Oireachtas Public Accounts
Committee, reported in The Irish Times, the impression may have been given
that part of the funding received by the Eastern Health Board last year to
combat the drugs problem remained unspent.

The Eastern Health Board would like to make it clear that the entire sum of
IEP14 million which it received from the Department of Health and Children
last year was used to develop and expand its drugs education, prevention,
treatment and rehabilitation services.

In 1998 drug treatment services were provided in an additional 19 treatment
locations, while an additional 600 treatment places for drug misusers have
been provided by the board since last October. There are now over 3,600
people receiving drug treatment services in the Eastern Health Board
region.

The board would also like to make it clear that it carries out as extensive
a consultation process as possible on the opening of new treatment
locations.

We give very careful consideration to the concerns raised by local people
and community groups when establishing new treatment services. Chief among
these concerns are local fears of loitering drug misusers and an increase
in nuisance and crime. The opposite is in fact the case.

Only clients from the local community are seen in our local treatment
centres and those who attend have to enter into a contract with us
regarding personal behaviour within and around the treatment locations. Our
experience is that persons who are on drug treatment programmes are well
motivated and there is a reduction in crime when they stabilise.

When we are planning to open new centres we invite representatives from the
local community to visit existing centres in other areas to see how well
the services are run and how beneficial they can prove to local
communities.

Our experience is that properly organised and secured drug treatment
clinics pose no threat to anybody.

The Eastern Health Board has an obligation to ensure that treatment
facilities are provided for drug misusers and we would like to compliment
local people and public representatives for the support they have given our
board in providing badly needed treatment facilities for drug misusers. -
Yours, etc.,

MAUREEN BROWNE, Communications director, Eastern Health Board, Dr Steevens'
Hospital, Dublin.