Drug overdose remains a major public health issue in Ireland and a National Overdose Prevention Strategy is needed to deal with this complex problem, the Ana Liffey Drug Project has said.

According to the latest figures available from the Health Research Board (HRB), 387 people died as a result of overdoses in 2013 and every death by overdose ‘is one family's devastating tragedy'.

"Sadly, overdose continues to be an issue in Ireland, with far more people dying by overdose than are dying on our roads every year. In the five-year period 2009 to 2013, over 1,500 people have died by overdose across Ireland. We must implement policies that will help reduce the number of deaths each year," commented the project's director, Tony Duffin.

He acknowledged that ‘innovative policies' are in the process of being introduced. For example, last month, the Minister of State with responsibility for the Government's Drug Strategy, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, said that he had asked officials in his department to examine proposals for the provision of medically supervised injecting centres for drug users.

Mr Duffin pointed out that nobody has ever died of an overdose in such a centre.

However, he insisted that ‘more needs to be done'.

"Ana Liffey are supported by the HSE and other state bodies to carry out overdose awareness work at traditionally risky times of year, including Christmas, but there is no overarching national strategy. We need to have a National Overdose Prevention Strategy, with clear targets aimed at reducing overdose," he commented.

He insisted that more needs to be done to make drug treatment, particularly residential drug treatment, more accessible.

He also noted that deaths due to polydrug use , i.e. more than one drug, have jumped by 98% since recording began in 2004. However current systems were not established to deal with this.

"It is commonly known that our current systems were established when heroin use was the predominant issue. Nowadays, most problem drug users are polydrug users. We need flexible services that can adapt to suit the needs of those presenting.

"And people are presenting with multiple and complex health needs. We need to deal with that - particularly making residential treatment more accessible - if we want to see overdose deaths begin to reduce in Ireland," Mr Duffin added.

For more information on the Ana Liffey Drug Project, click here