The HSE says it is working with agencies and services who provide help to individuals with addiction or who are sleeping rough to identify if new or emerging drugs trends are associated with the deaths of two men found in Cork city yesterday.
A 28-year-old man was found dead in a toilet in Fitzgerald's Park in the city. It is understood he was originally from Knocknaheeny in the city.
A second man, who was 31 and believed to originally be from Togher, was found dead in an alley on Kyrl's Quay, close to North Gate Bridge.
Their deaths are suspected to be linked to drugs overdoses.
The HSE says it does not comment on individual or specific cases but they do watch street drug trends and issue warnings if information emerges about bad batches of drugs being accessed by vulnerable users.
However, the HSE says it has no information to indicate that concern is emerging on the Cork heroin market or that new batches are in circulation at this moment in time.
They issue communications when extra risky batches are identified on the market, as part of its ongoing work with national services to review drugs trends.
Local services in Cork will support service users and will work with the HSE to monitor the market to identify if extra risky substances are circulating.
The most recent risk communications circulated by the HSE relates to counterfeit tablets with different products currently in circulation that could contain novel benzodiazepines or synthetic opioids.
The HSE reminds people who access tablets without a prescription to be aware of this additional risk at this time.
They are also advising people to contact addiction services or their GP if they are experiencing problems with addiction related issues.
