Debate contribution: Drug-related Deaths: East Antrim

Debate contribution by Ms Cheryl Brownlee on 27 May 2025.

MLA

Ms Cheryl Brownlee

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

27 May 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Adjournment

Heading

Drug-related Deaths: East Antrim

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4972681

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank the Member who has brought such an important topic to the House, allowing us to discuss an issue that affects every corner or our community: the tragic rise in drug-related deaths in East Antrim. I welcome the opportunity. As a member of the Policing Board, I will touch on policing. Drug use is one of policing's main priorities, which includes identifying and supporting those who are most at risk of harm from the misuse and illegal supply of drugs. The cycle of supply and demand is not just criminal but deadly. It fuels organised crime, exploits our young people and inflicts lasting trauma on families and neighbourhoods. Drug dealers are not your friends. They do not care about your health, your safety or your future. In the past year alone, seven drug-related deaths were recorded in the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area. All but one of the victims were known drug users between the ages of 23 and 47. Tragically, all cases involved suspected polydrug use, with five involving prescription-only medication. Across Northern Ireland, drug-related deaths have risen by 47% over the past decade, and 74·6% of them now involve the use of two or more substances. Those are not just numbers but lives lost: parents, siblings, sons and daughters. We also see an increase in the injection of cocaine, sometimes multiple times a day. That is a marked escalation from recreational cannabis use pre-pandemic to high-risk, high-harm drug dependency today. Alarmingly, many young people in Northern Ireland are buying what they believe to be cannabis oil but are instead being supplied with synthetic cannabinoids such as spice. Those substances have led to multiple hospital admissions that have required urgent medical intervention. The Public Health Agency (PHA) has called on parents and guardians to have a conversation with their children about the risks from vaping unknown substances. In Carrickfergus in particular, a number of groups, such as CHILL and Carrickfergus Community Forum, have been working on the ground, especially at weekends, and engaging with young people. They have been there when children have taken such substances and have described the scenes as "horrific". They engage regularly with the police and health professionals to address the issue, but we see it more and more. It is very difficult for all involved. I know that everybody is trying to work together, particularly schools, the police, the community and voluntary sector and education bodies, but the situation has now become the norm. It is no coincidence that 44·5% of deaths from drug misuse in Northern Ireland occur in the most deprived areas. We are witnessing a perfect storm: a combination of poverty, trauma, rural isolation and limited opportunities. The legacy of the Troubles, coupled with paramilitary influence, continues to play a role in the drug trade. What is more is that we are seeing child criminal exploitation, whereby young people are being used as pawns in the supply chain, on which Mr Donnelly touched. We also cannot ignore the rise in illegal moneylending. People are desperate for support and are falling into that trap. When repayments cannot be met, they are forced into storing drugs, dealing or even worse: sexual exploitation. I therefore welcome the latest statistics for Mid and East Antrim, where 135 stop-and-search operations were carried out under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Those efforts have led to arrests, seizures of class A and class B drugs and court convictions. A number of RAPID disposal bins have been located throughout Carrick, Larne and Ballymena. In just over a year, 1,400 prescription drugs, including dangerous opioids such as duloxetine, codeine and OxyContin, were safely surrendered. Fantastic work has been done locally by the likes of the Mid and East Antrim Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) drug and alcohol steering group, which was established to coordinate a multi-agency response to substance misuse. It has expanded from having four members originally to having over 30 members now. It plays a role in policy, community outreach and awareness campaigns. Those awareness campaigns, such as #StopTheTrend, are important. They allow parents, community leaders, the police and everyone involved to recognise what drugs are on the market and what children or adults could be taking so that they are aware of and proactive about what is in the system. There is also fantastic work from the likes of Start360, ASCERT, Extern, YMCA, CHILL and many more organisations. They do incredible work on the ground. The community and voluntary sector works tremendously hard daily to support those who are in a cycle, which is a difficult thing to break.

Carrickfergus Community Forum has a successful men's group that has provided a safe place for those who suffering with addiction and mental health issues. It also provides an affordable food club and community advice services that provide support with debt, benefits and housing and the holistic support that many people need. There is also a support hub that brings together statutory, voluntary and community groups to assist vulnerable young people, including those with drug or alcohol misuse issues. It is that sharing of information, dialogue and working together that can help someone in their time of need or time of crisis. We also know about addiction services in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust. Whilst there are fantastic services available, one of the things that I have noticed most is that, when you are in addiction, the support services may not be on your doorstep. That is understandable. However, if you are in a cycle of addiction, how do you get to the services to access them? Who is there to support you? When someone has an addiction, they lose their family and their close networks of support and are almost left alone. While there are services there, the issue is understanding how we ensure that people avail of them. That is important. There are a number of things there. I thank the Member for bringing the matter to the Floor. It is a community-wide issue. The Minister of Health is here, but the issue also touches on the remits of other Ministers. It is an Executive-wide issue that we need to address. If you are a parent, talk to your child. Support your neighbour. It is about raising awareness and supporting people. Addiction is an illness; it is a difficult —.

Yes. We believe in recovery. People need support, and they need it at the right time and in the right place.

1,081 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:37 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification