A drug needle exchange in the city centre is set to close within days. The charity which runs the service has lost its city centre premises. It allowed people who inject heroin and cocaine to dispose used needles and access health services.
"this is a life saving service. This work will be suspended," extern says. The closure is happening at the time when cocaine use is on the rise in the city centre. "we suspect that between 1,000 and 1,500 people are experiencing difficulties with their use," it adds. Independent councillor says the closure puts vulnerable
The Enhanced Needle and syringe exchange service (NSES) in 2024-2025. 32,667 transactions recorded by the NSES across northern Ireland. 721,000 needles and needles were given out, a 7.5% increase on the previous year.
This summary was written with AI assistance from the original article and may leave out important context. The original reporting belongs to BBC News · Health. Check the original, and official sources, before acting on any detail.