Almost 1000 Northern Ireland people received opiate addiction treatment

Last year, almost 1000 people in Northern Ireland received treatment for opium addiction.

The Public Health Agency released figures showing that 922 patients were registered to use substitute prescribing services for the financial year 2015/16. This represents a 44% increase on the same period six years before.

The substitute prescribing programme was set up more than a decade ago and crosses all five health trusts. It is an attempt to tackle the increasing problem of opiate addiction, which is manifested mainly by an addiction to heroin.

In the 12-month period to the end of March 2016, the northern trust had 303 patients, the highest number to receive the treatment. The Belfast trust came second, with 235 patients receiving treatment. The northern trust covers the area of Ballymena, where for more than two decades, heroin use has been prevalent. But the Belfast trust registered the largest number of patients per capita, with 66 people out of every 100,000 using the scheme. The Public Health Agency figures have also revealed that patient numbers are increasing across all areas of the north.

Their report stated that men in the age group 30 to 34 represented the largest category of patients, with only 27% of all patients being female. Of those on the programme, a third claimed to be living alone, 14% resided with a partner and children, and 6% lived with children, but not with a partner.