May 2015 |
drinkanddrugsnews
| 13
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Noticing a number from abroad
,
I answered my phone. Before I could even
say hello, Siobhan was telling me about her
son Gary. Just 31 years old, he had died in
the family home from a heroin overdose.
On returning from work, Siobhan had
called upstairs and, getting no response,
she went to investigate. Gary was snoring
and she saw that he had injected, so
seeing him lying on his side she decided to
let him ‘sleep it off’. She returned to his
room in the morning to find him cold and
dead. With a mixture of sadness and
anger, she described how she’d hugged
and kissed him, willing him to come
around, but knowing in her heart he was
long dead.
‘If only I’d known that he was
overdosing when I found him, I could have
called for help and given him naloxone,’
she said. But could she?
Gary’s history was like too many other
people’s. He’d had a problem with heroin for
12 years and been in and out of treatment
in Dublin. After a short prison sentence, he
had decided to return home to a small
community close to Galway, but relapsed
and couldn’t face drug treatment again.
In Ireland, naloxone is only available in
hospitals and healthcare facilities under
licence, for someone who has already
overdosed – it is not available to patients
or carers. Patient group directives don’t
exist in Ireland, and even in big centres like
Dublin, naloxone isn’t on the formulary, so
doctors working there can’t prescribe it.
Irish drug-related deaths are among the
highest in Europe, and lack of effective,
timely treatment, including naloxone, is
undoubtedly a factor – increasing its
availability would reduce these deaths
overnight.
Last November, guidelines from the
World Health Organization (WHO)
recommended increased access to
naloxone for people who use opioids
themselves, as well as for their families
and friends – it is only bad policy and
bureaucracy that is preventing it being
available to all.
Let’s change this situation now! If you
don’t have naloxone available in your area,
ask commissioners why they are
contravening WHO’s recommendations.
Dr Chris Ford is clinical director at
International Doctors for Healthier Drug
policies (IDHDP),
In her first international column
Chris Ford
looks at Ireland’s lack of naloxone provision
‘If only I’d known – I could
have saved his life…’
I first met Harry
while working on another
film project through my company, the
Community Film Unit, and I was immediately
struck by his level of maturity, his honesty
about what he had been through and the
ambition he had for his future.
I found his realistic approach to life
refreshing and, for me, it was a story that
simply had to be told. We wanted to make a
film that told the truth behind Harry’s story,
because I am positive it is a journey that so
many young people find themselves on, often
without really knowing it.
We didn’t want to make something that
dwelled on the past or something that spoke
about the effects of drugs – we wanted to try
and identify why young people become
addicted to drugs, tell a story that we believe
other young people can learn from and
hopefully produce something that is honest,
and something that young people can gain
inspiration from.
Both Harry and I were very happy with the
final edit of the film and he was a pleasure to
work with – I can also say that he is very much
following his dream and, since the shoot, he has
secured full-time employment. When we found
out about the Recovery Street Film Festival, I
had no hesitation in entering
Harry’s Story
. The
festival is a great initiative, run by some
amazing organisations, and I really hope it goes
from strength to strength in future years.
Winning it topped an amazing year for us,
but it is Harry who deserves the accolades for
turning his life around. The prize was split
equally between the Community Film Unit
(the producers), Rupert Hicks (the
cameraman) and Nick Slade (the editor). The
money was used to further the aspirations
of the Community Film Unit, which is to
get more young professionals into the
film industry.
Share your story by entering this year’s
Recovery Street Film Festival – details at
.
In next month’s issue: a step-by-step guide
to entering.
Lights
,
camera
,
action!
As the second Recovery Street Film Festival launches, last year’s winner
Matthew Joblin
talks to DDN
about his experience making
Harry’s Story
, a film about a young man’s journey through addiction
‘We wanted
to try and
identify why
young people
become
addicted
to drugs...
and hopefully
produce
something
that is honest,
and something
that young
people
can gain
inspiration
from.’
‘If you don’t
have naloxone
available in
your area, ask
commissioners
why they are
contravening
WHO’s
recommenda-
tions.’
From our Foreign correspondent
