Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 9, 2026

A Procedure to Study the Effect of Prolonged Food Restriction on Heroin Seeking in Abstinent Rats
10:35

A Procedure to Study the Effect of Prolonged Food Restriction on Heroin Seeking in Abstinent Rats

Published on: November 11, 2013

11.5K

Dublin's supervised injecting facility: An assessment of its impact on discarded needles

David S Evans1, Eamon Keenan2

  • 1Department of Public Health, HSE West and North West, Merlin Park Hospital Campus, Galway, Ireland.

The International Journal on Drug Policy
|December 10, 2025
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Ireland's first Medically Supervised Injecting Facility (MSIF) led to reduced drug litter and public loitering in its initial four months. Increased client attendance correlated with fewer discarded needles, showing community benefits.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Harm Reduction
  • Urban Health

Background:

  • Medically Supervised Injecting Facilities (MSIFs) provide sterile equipment and professional supervision for drug use.
  • They aim to mitigate risks like overdose and harms from public or solitary injecting.
  • Evidence supports MSIFs in reducing overdoses, public injecting, litter, and increasing service engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of Ireland's first MSIF during its initial four months of operation.
  • To assess changes in public drug litter, loitering, and public injecting in the vicinity of the facility.

Main Methods:

  • Weekly patrols of areas within 500m of the MSIF were conducted before and after its opening.
  • Data collected included discarded needles, crack pipes, public injecting incidents, loitering, and weight of litter.
  • Statistical analyses, including generalized linear models, compared pre- and post-opening data, controlling for weather and client uptake.

Main Results:

  • MSIF attendance increased nearly fivefold.
  • Discarded needles per patrol decreased by 20%, with each additional client associated with a 5% reduction.
  • Drug-related litter weight decreased by 59%, loitering by 45%, and public injecting remained rare.

Conclusions:

  • The MSIF demonstrated early community-level benefits, including reduced drug litter and public loitering.
  • These findings suggest a positive impact on the local environment and public safety.
  • Long-term monitoring is recommended to fully ascertain the sustained effects of the MSIF.
Keywords:
Discarded needlesHarm reductionOpioidsPeople who inject drugs (PWID)Substance use disorder (SUD)Supervised injection facilitySyringe disposal

More Related Videos

A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence08:05

A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence

Published on: March 23, 2022

2.9K
A Protocol to Set Up Needle-Free Connector with Positive Displacement on Central Venous Catheter in Intensive Care Unit09:57

A Protocol to Set Up Needle-Free Connector with Positive Displacement on Central Venous Catheter in Intensive Care Unit

Published on: July 13, 2019

13.7K

Related Concept Videos

Drug Control Governance: Regulatory Bodies and Their Impact01:03

Drug Control Governance: Regulatory Bodies and Their Impact

Drug control governance involves the oversight and regulation of pharmaceuticals to ensure their safety and efficacy while preventing illegal drug use and trafficking. Regulatory bodies, including the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Union's European Medicines Agency (EMA), play a central role in this process. These agencies evaluate the safety and efficacy of drugs before they can be marketed. They fund clinical trials and assess the benefits and risks associated with...
462
Drug Accumulation During Multiple Dosing: Repetitive IV Injections01:21

Drug Accumulation During Multiple Dosing: Repetitive IV Injections

Calculating drug dosage and accumulation in multiple-dose regimens is crucial for achieving therapeutic efficacy while avoiding toxicity. This involves determining the plasma drug concentrations over time to optimize dosing schedules. The principle of superposition is fundamental in this process, allowing for the prediction of drug concentration in plasma following multiple doses based on single-dose data.The principle of superposition asserts that the plasma concentration-time curves from...
229
Prevention of Further Absorption of Poison01:14

Prevention of Further Absorption of Poison

In cases of acute poisoning, the primary objective is to prevent further absorption of the toxic substance into the body. Immediate interventions using various decontamination techniques targeting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract can achieve this. Decontamination is crucial to prevent poison from entering the systemic circulation, which involves washing affected areas with water and mild soap and removing contaminated clothing. Once external decontamination is done, attention must be turned to...
1.2K
Drug Dependence01:17

Drug Dependence

Medications are typically administered to achieve therapeutic effects. Some drugs can modify an individual's mood and perception, frequently resulting in various enjoyable experiences. However, this can result in drug dependency, a condition marked by continuous drug use despite potential negative consequences. Drug dependency primarily falls into two categories: psychological and physical dependence. Psychological dependence occurs when the pleasurable feelings induced by the drug...
1.6K
Drug Regulation01:25

Drug Regulation

Drug regulation encompasses the management of drug usage by evaluating its safety and efficacy through assessments conducted by regulatory authorities. Regrettably, the history of drug regulation is marred by several catastrophic events. One such incident is the Elixir Sulfanilamide tragedy, in which the toxic compound diethyl glycol was included in a sweet-tasting medication, leading to numerous fatalities. This event prompted the enactment of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in 1938. Under...
2.7K