The use of a hard drug substance called "Snow Blow" is on the rise with younger people in Wexford and Waterford.
That's according to a local local drug support worker who says that people who use it are beginning to inject it in a similar manner to heroin.
It goes by the street name "Snow Blow" and is said to be having a devastating effect on young people in the region.
Speaking to Beat News, the Coordinator of the Cornmarket Project, a drug support service based in Co. Wexford, said there is an increase in people injecting it.
Paul Delaney says there has been an increase in Wexford and Waterford of people injecting the drug.
"This is the one that has given us the most concern in recent times.
"Snow Blow is a similar drug to cocaine that is often referred to as a 'poor persons's cocaine' because it's almost half the price.
"The problem about it of course is that nobody really knows whats in it.
"Cocaine is known to be 'cut' with additives.
"However, in the case of Snow Blow, it really is adulterated with a lot very very spurious chemicals, so no one really knows what they are getting.
"There has been an increase across Wexford and Waterford of people injecting the drug."
Effecting the young community
The Coordinator of the Cornmarket Project's Paul Delaney continued to say that there is a significant problem among younger people in the region.
"If you go back about 20 years ago to when we first established our services in Wexford, we were dealing with alot heroin users that were injecting drugs.
"Typically, they were of an older age profile, they were in their late 20s or early 30s.
"Unfortunately, with this Snow Blow drug , we are seeing clients who are in their late teens and their early 20s.
"They are both smoking the drug the way you would with other drugs, and snorting it the way you would with cocaine.
"But more worryingly, they are injecting it and they are not getting the message that injecting it this type of drug subjects them to the more serious dangers of contracting hepatitis and HIV through sharing needles.
Corn Market Project
The Cornmarket Project was established in 1999.
They supply a range of services to those who live with substance misuse related problems and those living with addiction.
Cornmarket operates from premises based in Wexford Town, New Ross, Enniscorthy and Gorey and throughout the rest of the County through the provision of an outreach service.
Their mission is to "reduce substance misuse, criminality and social exclusion in County Wexford by providing a range of best practice evidence based programme."
They say their aim is to create "lasting positive change by dealing with substance misuse, criminality and social exclusion".
What is Snow Blow?
Snow blow is a type of drug called a cathinone.
It is similar to cocaine in that it is a short-acting stimulant drug.
A number of different cathinones have been sold in Ireland as snow blow.
In powder form, cathinones are generally a fine white, off white or yellowish powder.
Cathinones can also come in crystal form.
HIV Concerns
New HIV infections are increasing in Ireland among people injecting snow blow.
According to HIV.ie, these increases are associated with sharing needles and having unprotected sex.
"People who inject snowblow are likely to inject more often, therefore increasing the risk of sharing injecting equipment."
"Using Snow Blow may also enhance your sex drive, increasing the risk of unprotected sex."
Contact
For more information on addiction treatment services, you can visit HSE.ie.
Or to find a local addiction treatment service in your areas, visit citizensinformation.ie.
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