259% surge in opioid overdoses

Homelessness charity DePaul said Naxolone administrations increased by 259 per cent in 2023.

The anti-overdose drug is used to treat people suffering from the life-threatening side effects of natural and synthetic opioids including heroin, morphine, methadone and a range of powerful painkillers.

Depaul’s Chief Executive, David Carroll said frontline staff witnessed a surge in the use of the life-saving drug this year.

“During a challenging year, there has been a 259 per cent increase in Naloxone administrations through the L'Derry/Derry based service.

"Frontline staff who are administering this life-saving medication are having to administer multiple doses at a time to reverse the effects of accidental drug overdoses.

"Emotional interventions increased by 77 per cent throughout the year, highlighting the challenges people are facing,” he revealed.

Mr. Carroll also confirmed that Derry and Strabane reported the highest number of homelessness presentations in the first six months of 2023.

The number of households accepted as homeless in the North during January to June 2023 rose to 5,281. Derry and Strabane had the highest levels of the 11 Councils in the north with 7.4 presenters per 1,000 (1,109 presentations in total).

Mr. Carroll said: “The cost of living crisis is still evident every day right across NI and in L’Derry/Derry the team has provided 561 personal interventions through Foyle Haven which include providing everyday essentials such as toiletries, food, clothes and showers to people, while visits to the day centre have almost doubled from 6,200 to 11,400 in just 12 months.”

Decrease in drug deaths in Derry and Strabane while pregabalin, cocaine and heroin fatalities hit record heights across the North