Trends in Treated Problem drug use in Ireland, 2001 - 2006: Download full HRB report

A total of 68,754 cases* aged between 15 and 64 years were treated for problem drug use in Ireland between 2001 and 2006.


A total of 68,754 cases* aged between 15 and 64 years were treated for problem drug use in Ireland between 2001 and 2006. The latest report from the Health Research Board (HRB) shows that almost one in five of these cases (18%) were being treated for the first time. In recent years, problem drug use has become a nationwide issue, rather than being confined largely to Dublin. Across Ireland, the main problem drugs reported by new cases were cannabis (41%), opiates (39%) and cocaine (9%). While the number of new cases reporting cocaine as their main problem drug was still relatively low, it increased considerably, from 43 in 2001 to 342 in 2006, reflecting trends in the 2002/3 and 2006/7 surveys of drug use in the general population.

The number of previously treated cases returning for treatment increased from 2,588 in 2001 to 2,781 in 2006. The number of cases returning for treatment is an indicator of the chronic nature of problem drug use and the level of demand for services into the future. The number of new cases also increased by a small margin, from 2,030 in 2001 to 2,228 in 2006, which reflects recent trends in problem use.

According to Dr Jean Long, Head of the Alcohol and Drug Research Unit at the HRB, ‘This relatively small increase in new cases nationally masks stark trends in HSE areas over the six-year period. For example; the number of new cases increased by 100% in the Western area, which includes Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.

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