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Saturday 2 December 2023 Dublin: 2°C

Latest

This week
26th November 2023 - 2nd December 2023
Tony Duffin: Shane MacGowan was more than a Fairytale…
Following the passing of Shane MacGowan, Tony Duffin reflects on the impact of Shane’s work on him in London during the 1980’s.
This year
2023
Tales from New York: 'We should learn from the drug treatment approach here'
Tony Duffin says Europe should take inspiration from New York City’s recent response to street-based drug use and increasing drug related deaths.
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Three perfect itineraries for a Saturday in Dublin
With a little help from Transport for Ireland, you can spend an amazing Saturday exploring the beautiful sights of South Dublin.
Opinion: The Greek model of responding to drug use is worth keeping an eye on
Tony Duffin of Ana Liffey project and his long-time friends, Dr Brian Melaugh and Dr Austin O’Carroll visited Athens to see how drug use is handled there.
All time
Opinion: How the pandemic acted as a catalyst for change in delivering vital homelessness services
Tony Duffin, CEO of Ana Liffey Drug Project describes how a shift in policy around Covid-19 brought about the changes to drug treatment that had been sought for years.
Tents, gated lanes and abandoned sites: How street-based injecting shapes everyday life in our cities
Injecting has an impact on our everyday environment that perhaps we don’t realise, writes Tony Duffin, CEO of Ana Liffey Drug Project.
I felt intense pressure before I did my TEDx talk - but I'm very glad I did it. Here's what I learned
I delivered my talk with my legs shaking – but I managed it in one take, writes Tony Duffin.
Opinion: No one should be prosecuted for personal possession of drugs
People using drugs should be dealt with exclusively via the health system, writes Tony Duffin. Let’s make the change in 2019.
What can Irish cities learn from the response to drug use in New Orleans?
There is an increasing recognition by police services that drug use is not a policing matter, but requires a health led response, writes Tony Duffin
'She was frantic, her boyfriend had assaulted her and was going to make her do sex work'
Tony Duffin the CEO of Ana Liffey Drug Project reflects on 25 years of helping people who use drugs.
'We need to help people who use drugs make healthier choices, not treat them as criminals'
Decriminalising possession can instinctively seem like a bad idea. We need to change public perception, writes Tony Duffin.
'We are all coming to the same conclusion – prohibitive drug laws harm'
The people who used basuco in Bogota have similar issues to those here who use crack cocaine, writes Tony Duffin.
It's planned the first supervised injecting facility will open in 2017. So how did we get here?
People have reasonable fears about such centres – but those fears can be addressed, writes the Ana Liffey Drug Project’s Tony Duffin.
Criminalising possession doesn't discourage use - we need real solutions
Ultimately, drug policy is about two things – what works; and what is acceptable to people, writes Ana Liffey’s Tony Duffin.
Drugs should be a priority issue for general election candidates - here's why
Drug use, mental health and homelessness are all interrelated issues. There’s no clear-cut solution, writes Tony Duffin.
Should we stop bringing criminal charges against those possessing drugs for personal use?
It’s important to consider what is meant by ‘decriminalisation’.
Does Sydney have the solution to Dublin's public drug-taking problem?
Sometimes difficult problems require courageous action.
Many of us will celebrate (or cope) this Christmas by using drink or drugs to excess
Everybody should be aware of simple, clear, ‘harm reduction’ messages writes Tony Duffin, Director of the Ana Liffey Drug Project.
Opinion: Coming out of addiction and homelessness is a major life event
If we want to address complex social issues like addiction and homelessness, we need the activity of frontline services to match the vision of high level policy.
Opinion: Addiction is often boiled down to sound bites – but the truth is complex
We need to reflect on how addiction affects an individual, their experience of seeking help, and what the throes of addiction are like.
Opinion: For drug service reform to work, we need to be brave and innovative
There are key issues to consider in ensuring that addiction services provide both high quality care for service users and value for money for the taxpayer.
Opinion: The 'War on Drugs' has failed – let's finally implement policies that make sense
Several drug-related deaths and hospitalisations this month demonstrate how our adherence to an overly-simplistic drug policy is misguided and dangerous.
Opinion: A new drug trade is hiding in the underbelly of the internet
We need to shine a light on the dark depths of the internet to reach people where they buy, sell and discuss drugs.
Column: Legislation changes our drugs landscape – but it isn’t a complete solution
It is time to acknowledge that drug and alcohol use is a part of modern society –and a public health issue to be managed, writes Tony Duffin.
Column: Philip Seymour Hoffman's death challenges our cosy stereotypes about addicts
For a short period, at least, death from heroin overdose has moved from the category of ‘things that will never happen to me or my friends’ to ‘things that can happen to anyone’, writes Tony Duffin.