Helpline identifies drug trends.

But the first half of 2008, when compared to the second half of 2007, saw large drops in calls to the Drugs/HIV Helpline in Ireland about hashish and painkillers containing opiates. The European Foundation of Drug Helplines (FESAT), collects information every six months on the type of people contacting helplines and the content of these calls. Some 14 FESAT helplines in 11 countries, including Ireland, participated in the project in the first half of 2008. FESAT noted a decline in the numbers of helplines reporting calls about crack, heroin, ecstasy, cocaine and hash across Europe in the first half of 2008 when compared to the previous six months, and an increase in the number of helplines reporting calls about alcohol and medications other than opiates and benzodiazepines.

There were mixed reports about cocaine and cannabis across Europe, with some helplines reporting increases and some decreases. The Helpline in Ireland answered an average of 14 calls per working day, though this figure included calls about sexual health. It received 1,805 calls between January and June 2008, which represents an eight per cent decrease compared to the preceding six-month period. This decrease was expected owing to the increase in the number of calls during the pharmacy strike in October 2007, according to the Drugs/HIV Helpline in Ireland. Half of the European help­lines answered 13 or more calls per day, with the largest responding to 60 calls compared to one by the smallest one.

Source: Lloyd Mudiwa, The Irish Medical News, 19/10/2009