The heartbroken mother of a young Lenadoon man, who lost his battle with drug addiction, has said the government must do more to tackle the stigma around drug dependency. 

Lorraine Brennan, whose 23-year-old son Jack Brennan passed away in January, has spoken out ahead of a meeting between West Belfast MLA Órlaithí Flynn and Health Minister Robin Swann, which will look at Stormont's alcohol and drugs strategy. 

Ms Flynn, who has been engaging with the Brennan family, said that people are continuing to fall "through the gaps" of current addiction services. 

In 2017, Jack Brennan spoke to the Andersonstown News about his substance and drug problems, and expressed hopes of getting clean. 

His mum Lorraine told how her sons attempts to overcome addiction were prevented by a lack of services. 

"My Jack always wanted to get clean and start something, but there are no decent rehabs here," she said.

"I'm trying to get Jack's medical records from the hospital and the doctor because I must've been in the hospital 100 times with him.

"You went to the hospital because he had overdosed, but you knew you were walking out hopeless. The thing that I want, and it may take a long time, is a crisis centre or rehab here where young people can go to when they do feel that bad and suicidal. There's nothing here."

Lorraine described what she sees as "epidemic" levels of drug use in West Belfast, which she said should have a dedicated drugs crisis centre. 

"There is just no support whatsoever," she revealed.

"We had to send Jack to two rehabs in England – my family had to help me because I wouldn't have been able to do it. The second one, he came out and he was drugs free for seven-and-a-half months, and it was like getting your son back. 

"Jack was very intelligent, he wrote journals, he wrote poetry - he wrote a lovely poem after rehab where he said he had hope."

Lorraine said the government's drugs strategy should look at ways to address the stigma around drug addiction. 

"Alcohol kills more people in the world than drugs do, but if someone is a heroin addict there's a stigma attached to it," she said.

"They're looked down upon, they're using a needle so they're dirty, they're 'lower' than you – they're not. Drugs was only a small part of our Jack.

"He could've told you about any animal in the world, where it originated, what it ate – he was just so intelligent. He hated the drugs, and he hated himself, but he just couldn't stop.

"There was nobody he could ring or go to."

She added: "People look at people on drugs like they're less than everybody else, but there is not a house in this estate that isn't impacted by mental health and drugs."

Sinn Féin MLA Órlaithí Flynn said: "I requested a meeting with the Health Minister back in April, directly after the publication of the new drug and alcohol strategy. The Minister has now offered to meet with me in August to discuss the findings and finalisation of the strategy.

"This discussion will focus on how the department intends to take forward this crucial piece of work and more importantly how they intend to fund and implement it. Too many people are falling through the gaps within current services, with many continuing to sadly lose their lives as a result of alcohol use, drug use and poor mental health.

"It should be no surprise to anyone by now that drug and alcohol deaths are on the rise and significantly so within the most deprived and less affluent communities. This must be addressed.

"I am working with a number of families who waited too long for the right support and treatment and who now grieve over the loss of their loved one.

"The family of Jack Brennan are to the fore of my mind, as this week marks six months since Jack lost his battle to addiction and poor mental health.

"Jack, like so many others had so much potential and so much to offer this world.   
The system must change to suit the needs of those within our society who continue to suffer with these difficult problems."