A drug needle exchange operated by the charity Extern in Belfast’s city centre is set to cease operations on 2 November following the loss of its Royal Avenue premises. The facility has provided critical services to people who inject heroin or cocaine, including safe needle disposal, clean needle distribution, wound dressing, and connections to healthcare and housing support.
Extern characterizes the exchange as a life-saving service and has expressed concern that its closure will leave vulnerable individuals without access to essential harm reduction support. The charity reports that last year approximately 20,000 used needles were safely returned by service users at the Royal Avenue location. Additionally, Extern’s city centre outreach team removed more than 13,000 discarded needles from city streets, representing roughly a 20% increase from previous years. The charity estimates between 1,000 and 1,500 people in Belfast are currently experiencing difficulties with drug use.
The premises is being redeveloped as part of the Belfast Stories project. Despite more than a year of searching with assistance from Belfast City Council, the Public Health Agency, the Department of Health, and various landlords, no alternative city centre location has been secured. Following the closure, Extern will operate a significantly reduced street-based service.
Concerns about the closure extend beyond the immediate loss of services. Extern has warned that the reduction may result in increased visible drug use and drug-related litter in the city centre. Independent councillor Paul McCusker has raised alarm about the impact on vulnerable populations, noting connections between injection drug use and serious health complications including infections and limb loss. Needle exchange services across Northern Ireland recorded 32,667 transactions in 2024-2025, distributing approximately 721,000 needles and syringes, representing increases of 7.4% and 7.5% respectively over the previous year.
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