Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising this issue. She will be aware that the Minister of State with responsibility for the national drugs strategy, Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, is out of the country and unable to respond personally. The Government's response to the problem of drug misuse in our society is set out in the National Drugs Strategy 2009-16. The Minister of State is aware that in recent years the nature and scale of drug misuse has changed, with an increased prevalence of polydrug use and the use of Z-drugs, benzodiazepines and other prescription or non-prescription tablets, as Deputy O'Sullivan has just outlined. Treatment figures for 2013 indicate an increase in the number of people seeking treatment for benzodiazepine use.

Z-drugs are prescription medicines and, as such, may be supplied by a registered pharmacist only on foot of a prescription. It is an offence to supply them by mail order. While it is not an offence to receive them, recipients are not entitled to possess them, and this provision is availed of by customs officers and the Health Products Regulatory Authority to confiscate such medicines. Some medicines, including Z-drug Zipeprol, are subject to stricter controls under the misuse of drugs regulations because of their high potential for abuse and misuse.

A substantial amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1988 to introduce additional controls on benzodiazepines and Z-drugs was the subject of a consultation process. It included the introduction of import and export controls and tighter prescribing and dispensing rules. While substantial work was done on drafting these amended regulations, departmental resources had to be reallocated to deal with a challenge to the constitutionality of section 2(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, under which the Government declares substances to be controlled under the Act. The Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Act 2015 was enacted in March 2015 following an adverse finding by the Court of Appeal.

The 2015 Act also reconfirmed existing ministerial regulations and orders made under the 1977 Act, including the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1988. This means that amendments are required to the Misuse of Drugs Act before any new regulations can be made. Work is under way on drafting a second Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill to amend sections of the 1977 Act. The Bill is listed in the Government's legislative programme for publication in 2016.

Of course, it is important to point out that the problem of abuse of Z-drugs will not be solved by regulations alone and that prescribers need to ensure that these controlled substances are only prescribed as appropriate and for a very limited time. Clinical guidelines are set out in the Department of Health's document, Good Practice Guidelines for Clinicians, for the prescribing of benzodiazepines. The HSE's addiction services provide a comprehensive substance treatment service orientated towards those with polydrug issues. Consequently, problem drug users attending such services who are dependent on benzodiazepines or Z-drugs have this addressed as part of their treatment. Clinical protocols for benzodiazepine treatment are currently under consideration by the national clinical effectiveness committee, and some HSE addiction services are piloting these protocols. The Department of Health is beginning work on the development of a new national drugs strategy. The process will include a comprehensive consultation with key stakeholders and the public on the current national drugs policy and future priorities, including treatment. Along with my colleague, the Minister of State Deputy Ó Ríordáin, I would urge all interested parties to engage in the process.

Deputy O'Sullivan is right that there is no one solution to this problem. It will require a combination of efforts from several Departments. It is not just a question of more gardaí or more legislation. A co-ordinated effort is required to tackle this problem. I do not have all of the answers to the Deputy's questions today, but I am sure that the Minister of State will respond to her in person in the coming days.

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