Dr Conor Farren, consultant psychiatrist at St Patrick’s hospital, said it was only now, in the post-boom period, that we were recognising some of the negative consequences of the boom.
“We had a boom from 1995 to 2005, and during that 10-year period we had an expansion of alcohol consumption by about 40 per cent. We were the only country in the world to do that. The equivalent figure for that 10-year period in the UK was a 5 per cent increase.”
He said the boom, “an enormous laxity of licensing laws” and multi-million euro promotions by the drinks industry had all played their part.
“And now, unfortunately, we are beginning to see the consequences.”
St Patrick’s, which today opens a centre into which all its addicion services are being consolidated, now has a constant waiting list for admission to its inpatient addiction treatment programme.
Dr Farren said while more young people were seeking treatment, they were more difficult to treat, partly because in the 18 to 30-year age group there was more poly-drug abuse.
He said alcohol was still the primary substance of abuse in the State despite all the talk about other drugs. An estimated 250,000 people in Ireland have an alcohol abuse problem, of whom only 20 per cent were engaged in any form of treatment. Of the other 80 per cent, he said half would have no interest in treatment and half were not in treatment because of difficulty accessing treatment services.
The new Temple centre at St Patrick’s, which will deal with all addiction services, can treat some 500 inpatients a year, and will also undertake research and training.
“This is the start of the development of a centre of excellence,” said Dr Farren.
Source: Eithne Donnellan, The Irish Times, 29/06/2009
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