National Drug Strategy

Sir, – The Gay Health Network (GHN) welcomes the National Drug Strategy, the first of its kind to specifically mention the need for targeted harm-reduction, education and prevention measures that are tailored towards the LGBTI community.

The strategy includes an action point for the need to provide addiction supports in non-traditional settings with particular reference to chemsex. GHN hopes this signals a widening of resource provision for services attempting to bridge the gap between sexual, mental and addiction health.

In addition, GHN also welcomes the commitment to strengthen early-harm reduction responses to current and emerging trends and patterns of drug use. Specific reference is made to the GHB/GBL harm-reduction campaign, a joint partnership of GHN, GMHS, Drugs.ie, HIV Ireland & Gay Switchboard Ireland as an example of successfully highlighting drug-use patterns and issues among high-risk groups.

GHN is pleased to see chemsex included as a topic for consideration as part of a working group examining the evidence base for early-harm reduction responses to current and emerging trends. The establishment of the working group is also a strategic action to be achieved between 2017 and 2020. – Yours, etc,

READ SOME MORE

ADAM SHANLEY,

Gay Health

Network Member,

Dublin 1.