Drug poisoning caused 48% of homeless deaths in Ireland, study shows
Drug poisoning led to almost half of all
homeless deaths
in Ireland, according to new research, which suggests almost nine in 10 people who died while homeless had a history of substance abuse.
The link between drug use and death in homelessness was set out in a new report from the
Health Research Board
(HRB), which examined 128 premature and preventable deaths among homeless people in 2021.
'Misuse of more than one drug or substance significantly increases the risk of fatal overdose,' said HRB senior researcher and report co-author Dr Suzi Lyons.
'Problem substance use and mental health conditions remain some of the key health challenges for people who are homeless, with the majority of those who died dealing with one or both of these issues at the time of their death.'
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Some 48 per cent of homeless deaths were due to drug poisoning, while the other 52 per cent were due to other causes, mainly medical conditions.
Dr Lyons said the risk of fatal overdose was made clear in the high prevalence of polysubstance deaths. According to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, polysubstance drug use occurs when two or more drugs are taken together, either intentionally or unintentionally.
Data examined by the HRB suggests that polysubstance poisoning accounted for 85 per cent of poisoning deaths among males and all poisoning deaths among females.
'In 2021, the most common drug groups implicated in the 61 poisoning deaths were opioids (82 per cent), benzodiazepines (69 per cent), alcohol (38 per cent), and cocaine (36 per cent),' the HRB said.
'The opioid, methadone, was the most common drug implicated in poisoning deaths (52 per cent), a higher proportion among females (85 per cent) compared to males (44 per cent).'
Some 38 per cent of those dying while homeless were known to have accessed substance use treatment at some stage of their life, and 28 per cent were known to be accessing treatment at the time of death.
Some 80 per cent of all deaths were among males with a median age of 44, while the median age among females was 37. Median describes the midpoint in the range of ages of those who died.
Non-poisonings were mainly due to medical causes (70 per cent), such as cardiovascular issues, but 30 per cent involved trauma such as drowning or falling.
The research shows there were 18 deaths among people who were homeless and had no recorded history of drug or alcohol use. The median age of this group was 56 years.
One in three deaths were among people with a known history of mental health issues: 52 per cent of all female fatalities and 29 per cent of all male fatalities. Within that cohort, 79 per cent were known to be in contact with medical services, including substance use treatment services.
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Addiction and substance abuse primary reason for homelessness, says charity
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'These findings highlight the difficult reality faced by some of the most vulnerable people in society, caught in [the] cycle of homelessness, substance use and mental health issues,' said HRB chief executive Dr Mairéad O'Driscoll.
'We collect and analyse data on the nature and circumstances of these deaths to provide evidence that can inform harm-reduction strategies and future policies to support those experiencing homelessness.'
The research showed that 83 of the 128 deaths were among people in temporary or crisis accommodation. It went to show that 30 people who died were sleeping rough, with the remainder living in 'unstable' or 'severely substandard, or highly insecure accommodation'.
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