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In brief
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In brief
by Brian Galvin
Unusually for books on the topic, Drug Policy includes a chapter on the democratic process and the
role played by the public in drug policy formation.1 Author Alison Ritter explores how the public
might participate in the decision-making process and identifies several obstacles to participation
in contemporary liberal democracies. Justifications for government decisions are based on the
strength of the arguments supporting them and on the consent which the electorate gives through the
electoral process. Because of the complexity of governing, the technical tasks of policy are left to
experts, with input from the bulk of the population largely limited to infrequent elections.

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Cover story
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Establishment of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use
by Lucy Dillon
The Programme for Government, which was launched in June 2020, committed to holding a Citizens’
Assembly on Drugs Use.1 In February 2023, the Government gave its approval for the assembly to be
established. The assembly’s work will run from April to December 2023. The establishment of the
assembly has been overwhelmingly welcomed by stakeholders across the sector and the political
spectrum

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Policy and legislation
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Joint Committee on Justice report on decriminalisation
by Lucy Dillon
In December 2022, the Joint Committee on Justice published Report on an examination of the present
approach to sanctions for possession of certain amounts of drugs for personal use.1 The report makes
a set of wide-reaching recommendations on how the committee thinks Ireland’s approach to people who
use drugs should change. It includes a recommendation for the decriminalisation of the possession of
drugs for personal use.


Joint Committee on Justice


The Joint Committee on Justice is described as shadowing the Department of Justice and considers
policy ‘in the fields of justice, security and the rule of law to ensure that Irish society is safe,
secure, just, open-minded and impartial’.2 The committee comprises Dáil Deputies and Senators of the
Oireachtas from across all political parties and independents. It is chaired by James Lawless TD of
Fianna Fáil and its members include Labour Party TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and Independent Senator Lynn
Ruane, both of whom are long-standing contributors to the national discussion on drug issues. The
aim of the committee is to have meaningful input into key legislation and policy areas. It should be
noted that the committee’s findings and recommendations do not necessarily reflect those of the
Minister for Justice or the Department of Justice.

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Support for evidence-based alcohol policy in Ireland
by Seán Millar
Alcohol use is a leading risk factor for death and disability and there is a need for evidence-based
policy measures to tackle excess alcohol consumption and related harms. A 2023 study, led by
University College Cork (UCC), examined attitudes towards alcohol control measures among the general
public in Ireland in the context of significant reforms undertaken in the Irish alcohol policymaking
landscape.1


In this research, conducted by Dr Susan Calnan and Dr Seán Millar of the UCC School of Public Health
and Dr Deirdre Mongan of the Health Research Board, a representative household survey was undertaken
in three regions of Cork and Kerry. A total of 1,069 participants took part. Descriptive and
univariate analyses were used to examine factors associated with support for alcohol control policy
measures.

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Recent research
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The intersectionality of women’s substance use
by Lucy Dillon
A 2023 report grounded in women’s lived experiences of substance use in Ireland was launched by the
then Minister for Justice Simon Harris TD on 30 March entitled, ‘You can’t fix this in six months’:
Understanding the intersectionality of women’s substance use in the Irish context.1 The report
highlights the complex nature of women’s substance use and the issues they face. It argues for
female-only services that support motherhood and recognise the exploitation, trauma, and abuse many
women who use substances experience (p. 19).1 The research, funded by the Irish Research Council New
Foundations scheme, was carried out by a team from University College Dublin led by Dr Sarah Morton
in partnership with Merchants Quay Ireland.



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Factors associated with public awareness of the relationship between alcohol use and breast cancer
risk
by Anne Doyle
Background


Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Ireland and alcohol use is estimated to be
attributable to approximately 7% of breast cancer cases.1,2 Almost one-half of women in Ireland
drink alcohol on a weekly basis (48%) and approximately one in five women report binge drinking on a
typical drinking occasion (19%). However, despite alcohol being classified as a Group 1 carcinogen
(cancer-causing) since 1988, many people appear unaware of this fact.3,4

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Evaluating the impact of alcohol minimum unit pricing on deaths and hospitalisations in Scotland
by Anne Doyle
Background


Minimum unit pricing (MUP) of £0.50 sterling per unit (10 ml or 8 g) was introduced in Scotland in
2018 in response to health harms from alcohol being disproportionately higher in Scotland compared
with the rest of the United Kingdom, especially so in areas of deprivation. MUP is a measure
recommended by the World Health Organization as a ‘best buy’ to reduce alcohol-related harms. As it
targets those who buy the cheapest alcohol who are typically the heaviest drinkers, it has the
potential to reduce inequalities of alcohol-related harms.1,2 Three years after implementation, MUP
resulted in a 3% reduction in alcohol sales in Scotland, most evident in households that before MUP
had purchased the most alcohol.1 A 2023 study to examine the impact of MUP on alcohol-related deaths
and hospitalisations wholly attributable to alcohol use compared time periods before and after the
introduction of MUP.3

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Impact of minimum unit pricing on alcohol-related hospital outcomes
by Anne Doyle
Background


A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to examine the impact of minimum unit pricing
(MUP) on alcohol-related hospitalisations.1 The review also sought to determine if MUP had an effect
on length of hospital stay for alcohol-related conditions, on hospital mortality, and for
alcohol-related liver disease. Given that the costs of alcohol-related hospitalisations on the Irish
healthcare system are estimated at €1.5 billion (in 2012) and the high levels of alcohol use in
Ireland, legislation to reduce alcohol use and related harms were introduced in 2018.2–4 A component
of this legislation, the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018, is MUP, set at €1.00 per standard drink
or per 10 g of alcohol. Ireland is one of the few countries globally to introduce such a measure, as
well as certain provinces in Canada; Northern Territory, Australia; Scotland; Wales; Jersey;
Armenia; Belarus; Kyrgyzstan; Moldova; Russia; Ukraine; and Uzbekistan.5

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A human rights-based exploration of service-user narratives in Irish methadone maintenance treatment
by Leila Keshtkar and Suzi Lyons
Background


Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is considered a common treatment for opiate- dependent people
across Europe and especially in Ireland. As MMT services cater for vulnerable populations, a
human-rights-focused approach can assist in shaping and framing processes to provide more equality
and access to services. A 2022 qualitative study1 looked at how to better understand the
human-rights perspective in relation to people accessing MMT services in Ireland.

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Prevalence/current situation
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Adolescent Addiction Service report, 2023
by Seán Millar
The Adolescent Addiction Service (AAS) of the Health Service Executive (HSE) provides support and
treatment in relation to alcohol and drug use for young people and families from the Dublin suburbs
of Ballyfermot, Clondalkin, Palmerstown, Lucan, and Inchicore. Services provided include advice,
assessment, counselling, family therapy, professional consultations, and medications if required. In
2023, AAS published a report detailing referrals for 2022.1

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Trends in alcohol and drug admissions to psychiatric facilities
by Seán Millar
The annual report published by the Mental Health Information Systems Unit of the Health Research
Board, Activities of Irish psychiatric units and hospitals 2021,1 shows that the rate of new
admissions to inpatient care for alcohol disorders has decreased.


In 2021, some 758 cases were admitted to psychiatric facilities with an alcohol disorder, of whom
311 were treated for the first time. Figure 1 presents the rates of first admission between 2001 and
2021 for cases with a diagnosis of an alcohol disorder. The admission rate in 2021 was lower than
the previous year and trends over time indicate an overall decline in first admissions. Just over
one-third (35.2%) of cases hospitalised for an alcohol disorder in 2021 stayed under 1 week, while
29.8% of cases were hospitalised for between 1 and 3 months, similar to previous years.

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Responses
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An Garda Síochána strategy statement and policing plan, 2022
by Ciara H Guiney
Strategy Statement 2022–2024


An Garda Síochána Strategy Statement 2022–2024 was published on 9 June 2022.1 The mission of An
Garda Síochána (AGS) for the duration of the strategy is simply ‘Keeping people safe’ (p. 6). While
the strategy is set against the backdrop of living in a post-pandemic world, with global political
and economic uncertainty, AGS is committed to evolving and meeting policing demands that are
continually changing. The five pillars that the strategy focuses on are:

Community
Tackling crime and preventative policing
Victims and the vulnerable
Protecting the security of the Irish State
Sustainable change and innovation.
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Courts Service annual report, 2021
by Ciara H Guiney
The 2021 annual report of the Courts Service was published on 28 July 2022. While the report
presented data for all criminal cases arising within the Irish justice system between January and
December 2021, this article only discusses the statistics of prosecutions for drug offences.1 The
data provided are for overall drug law offences. The Courts Service in Ireland does not distinguish
between the different supply offences and possession/use offences (Courts Service, personal
communication, 2017).



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Department of Justice annual report, 2021
The 2021 annual report of the Department of Justice was published on 18 January 2023.1 The report
outlines the progress made by the Department to fulfil goals and objectives identified in its
Statement of Strategy 2021–2023.2



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Ana Liffey Drug Project annual report, 2021
by Seán Millar
The Ana Liffey Drug Project (ALDP) is a ‘low-threshold, harm reduction’ project working with people
who are actively using drugs and experiencing associated problems. ALDP has been offering harm
reduction services to people in the north inner-city area of Dublin since 1982, from premises at
Middle Abbey Street. ALDP offers a wide variety of low-threshold, harm reduction services that
provide pathways for people who use drugs out of their current circumstance, including addiction and
homelessness.


The services offered in Dublin include:

Open access
Assertive outreach
Needle and syringe programme
Medical services
Stabilisation group
Detox group
Harm reduction group
Treatment options group
Assessment for residential treatment
Key working and case management
Prison in-reach.
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DOVE Service, Rotunda Hospital annual report, 2021
by Seán Millar
The Danger of Viral Exposure (DOVE) Service in the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin was established to meet
the specific needs of pregnant women who have or are at risk of blood-borne or sexually transmitted
bacterial or viral infections in pregnancy. Exposure may also occur through substance use. Figures
from the service for 2021 were published in the hospital’s annual report in 2022.1


Clinical activity


Figure 1 shows the number of women who booked into the DOVE Service for antenatal care each year
during the period 2011–2021. It also shows the diagnosis of viral disease for these women. During
2021, some 166 women booked into the DOVE Service for antenatal care.

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Updates
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Recent publications
Prevalence and current situation


Denormalising alcohol industry activities in schools
van Schalkwyk MCI, Petticrew M, Maani N and Hawkins BR (2023) Lancet, 8(2): e90–e91.
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‘The area I’m from is very rough’: drug users’ views on the role of social and economic factors in
their experiences of drug-related harm
O’Mahony S (2023) Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, Early online.
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Illicit drug use in university students in the UK and Ireland: a PRISMA-guided scoping review
Boden M and Day E (2023) Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 18: 18.
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Drugs and alcohol data (insert)
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Drugnet Ireland is published by the Health Research Board.
Drugnet Ireland is the quarterly newsletter of Ireland’s focal point for the EMCDDA and is produced
in collaboration with the HRB National Drugs Library. Drugnet Ireland is published by the Health
Research Board.


Managing editor: Brian Galvin
Copyediting: O’Hanlon Media

© Health Research Board, 2023

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