Demand In The Midlands For Drugs Support Charity Jumps By 60% In A Year

Thursday, 21 October 2021 12:06

By Ellen Butler @LN_but

The service covers Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Longford, as well in the Midlands and Portlaoise Prisons.

Demand for Merchant Quay Ireland's midland service jumped by over 60% between 2019 and 2020.

The homelessness and drugs charity is launching its latest annual report today.

1,298 people accessed MQI's Midlands Service last year - that's up from 787 in 2019.

Its regional operation provides support to individuals and families experiencing problems because of drug or alcohol use.

That includes rehabilitation, needle and syringe exchange, and a community employment scheme.

Of the almost 1,300 individuals helped in the midlands last year, family support was provided to 119 people.

New funding in 2019 allowed MQI to recruit a new Rehab and Aftercare Worker in the midlands - which it says will greatly enhance the work of the service.

The charity operates across Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Longford, as well in the Midlands and Portlaoise Prisons, and an open door facility is also available on Payne's Lane in Athlone.

In 2020, a location in Tullamore was identified as the new base for the Midlands Service.

Construction was delayed during the covid lockdown, but the service is expected to start operating out of this location by the end of this year.

Today we launch our 2020 Annual Review, which shows that 9,882 people accessed MQI's services last year. @PaulaByrneMQI said: "For women and men who are homeless and struggling with mental health issues and addiction - 2020 was exceptionally difficult." 🔗https://t.co/cfZo7YEe5o pic.twitter.com/mbC0H5dKG6
— Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) (@MerchantsQuayIR) October 21, 2021

People moving home to the midlands during the pandemic is thought to be one of the reasons for a huge rise in demand for addiction supports.

Merchants Quay Ireland recorded a 61 per cent jump in people accessing its midlands drugs and alcohol services in 2020, compared to the previous year.

Head of Services Sanjay Gulati say they struggled to keep up with an "alarming" increase in demand across the country during the pandemic, with many turning to substance abuse to cope with isolation: