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Welcome
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Publication of the evaluation of Ireland’s national drugs strategy
by Lucy Dillon
Introduction
An evaluation of the national drugs strategy Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery 2017-2025 was
published in July 2025.1 The independent evaluation was commissioned by the Department of Health and
carried out over a four-month period by a team of researchers from Grant Thornton Ireland.



Evaluation goals
As required by the Department of Health’s specification for the evaluation of the national drugs
strategy, the findings are reported across four domains that reflect the goals of the evaluation.
These four domains are as follows:

The impact of the strategy: In relation to the strategy’s goals and strategic priorities, to assess
its overall impact in delivering a public health-led and whole-of-government response to drug and
alcohol use.
Governance and coordination effectiveness: To review the governance and coordination structures
involved in the implementation of the strategy, including the contribution of stakeholders (such as
civil society and Drug and Alcohol Task Forces), government oversight, and reporting arrangements.
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Policy and legislation
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The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Drugs Use is re-established
by Lucy Dillon
In May 2025, it was announced that the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Drugs Use had been
re-established. On 22 October 2024, the first iteration of the Committee published the Joint
Committee on Drugs Use Interim Report,1 but the dissolution of the Government in November 2024 saw
an end to their work. A commitment was made in the Programme for Government 2025 to re-establish the
Committee to continue its work.2

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A whole-system approach to drug prevention
by Lucy Dillon
In May 2025, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) in the United Kingdom (UK) published
a report titled A Whole-System Response to Drug Prevention in the UK.1 It is a comprehensive report
that reflects on the evidence for the various components of an effective drug prevention system,
including for prevention interventions.



While the report’s focus is on the UK, it should be of interest to prevention stakeholders in
Ireland. This article is based on both the published report and a presentation made by the Chair of
the ACMD, Professor Owen Bowden-Jones, at a seminar held by the the UK-based Drug Education Forum on
19 June 2025.1, 2

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Recent research
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Etizolam and Irish drug poisoning deaths
by Fiona Riordan
While most drug poisoning deaths across Europe involve opioids, benzodiazepines are implicated in
many deaths and are frequently present in deaths involving opioids.1



The benzodiazepines involved in these deaths are not always prescribable benzodiazepines; indeed,
one driver behind an increase in drug poisoning deaths, particularly in Scotland, is the emergence
of benzodiazepine-type new psychoactive substances (NPS) such as etizolam.2 Scotland’s experience
with etizolam, and the implications for Irish drug poisoning deaths, were addressed in a letter
published in the Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine in 2024.3

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Prescription drug misuse in Ireland
by Seán Millar
The non-medical use of prescription drugs has become a global health concern. Non-medical usage is
defined as the taking of prescription drugs, whether obtained by prescription or otherwise, except
in the manner or for the reasons or time period prescribed, or by a person for whom the drug was not
prescribed.1



A Trendspotter study undertaken between May and September 2019 by Ana Liffey Drug Project and the
European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) Irish National Focal Point identified converging signals of the
non-medical use of pharmaceuticals in Ireland.2 The user groups identified included high-risk opioid
users, prison populations, people with complex and multiple needs, and young people. Among these
groups, the motivations for using street tablets were for their intoxicating effects, to enhance
desired effects from illicit substances, to help withdrawal symptoms, to improve sleep, and to
reduce stress.

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New research on non-fatal opioid overdoses in Ireland
by Seán Millar
A new report from Trinity College Dublin presents a decade-long exploration of non-fatal opioid
overdoses (NFODs) in Ireland.1 Authored by Professor Jo-Hanna Ivers and Neil Dunne, the study
combines clinical data, systematic review findings, and policy analysis to shine a light on the
evolving nature of opioid-related harm, especially within Dublin’s inner city.



The study found that between 2011 and 2021, over 2,500 NFOD cases were recorded in Ireland’s acute
hospitals. Dublin’s inner city, despite accounting for just a fraction of the national population,
was disproportionately affected. Heroin was the most implicated opioid until 2020, when methadone, a
drug used in opioid agonist treatment, surpassed it in prevalence. Outside the city, other opioids,
including prescription and synthetic drugs, emerged as primary contributors to overdose, pointing to
different risk environments across urban and rural contexts.

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Prevalence/current situation
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Non-fatal drug-related hospital admissions in Ireland, 2024
by Seán Millar
The HIPE (Hospital In-Patient Enquiry) scheme is a computer-based health information system, managed
by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in association with the Department of Health
and the Health Service Executive (HSE). It collects demographic, medical, and administrative data on
all admissions, discharges, and deaths from acute general hospitals in Ireland.



Each HIPE discharge record represents one episode of care; each discharge of a patient, whether from
the same or a different hospital, with the same or a different diagnosis, gives rise to a separate
HIPE record. The scheme therefore facilitates analysis of hospital activity rather than of the
incidence of disease. HIPE does not record information on individuals who attend emergency
departments but are not admitted as inpatients. Monitoring of drug-related acute emergencies in the
Irish context refers to all admissions for non-fatal overdoses to acute general hospitals in
Ireland.

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Trends in polysubstance use among patients in methadone maintenance treatment in Ireland: Evidence
from urine drug testing 2010–2020
by Siobhán Ní Luasa
Introduction



The main cause of death among people with opioid use disorder (OUD) is drug overdose. OAT is a
proven intervention to reduce both drug-related and all-cause mortality. The advantages of OAT can
be negated by using other prescribed and non-prescribed substances at the same time during OAT, such
as heroin, cocaine or street benzodiazepines and/or other prescribed medications. Polysubstance use
is associated with treatment discontinuation and is known as a risk factor for drug overdose.
Despite this, there is limited research on the effects of polysubstance use among patients in OAT.



An Irish study sought to address this gap in the research by aiming to (1) examine trends in drug
positivity rates in amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cannabis, cocaine and opioids (heroin, morphine
and codeine); and (2) identify trends in polysubstance positivity rates for drug combinations
associated with increased risk of drug overdose including (a) methadone and benzodiazepines; (b)
methadone, benzodiazepines and opioids; (c) methadone, benzodiazepines and cocaine; and (d)
methadone, benzodiazepines, opioids and cocaine.1

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Launch of the national awareness campaign for the DRIVE project
by Suzi Lyons
On 8 May 2025, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National
Drugs Strategy, together with Jim O’Callaghan, Minister for Justice, launched the national awareness
campaign for the DRIVE (Drug-related intimidation and violence engagement) project.1,2 The key
messages associated with the campaign were that drug-related intimidation can happen to anyone but
there is help, and by visiting the website driveproject.ie people can find information about safe
and confidential services in their local area.

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New study shows a rise in cocaine-related harms in Ireland
by Seán Millar and Deirdre Mongan
A recent study has revealed a sharp increase in cocaine use and associated health harms in Ireland
over the past two decades. Conducted by a team of researchers from the Health Research Board (HRB);
the School of Public Health, University College Cork (UCC); Trinity College Dublin; and the Health
Service Executive (HSE), the study used data from five national databases to track trends from 2000
to 2023.



In this research, which has been published in the journal BMC Public Health, findings show that
last-year prevalence of cocaine use among 15–64-year-olds in Ireland more than doubled, rising from
1.1% in 2002–03 to 2.4% in 2023.1

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Responses
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What Works prevention and early intervention initiatives
by Lucy Dillon
In July 2025, the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, announced three
initiatives to support prevention and early intervention programmes for children and young people in
Ireland.1 They are being funded through the What Works prevention and early intervention initiative.
As with previous activities under the What Works initiative, there are synergies with drug
prevention activities.



What Works



What Works: Sharing Knowledge, Improving Children’s Futures is an initiative of the Department of
Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) that was launched in June 2019. It was a rebrand of the Quality
and Capacity Building Initiative that the DCYA had been developing since 2016. What Works seeks to
embed and enhance knowledge and quality in prevention and early intervention activities in children
and young people’s policy, service provision, and practice.

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Safe futures: Preventing youth recruitment into drug markets
by Lucy Dillon
The Safe futures: Identifying promising approaches, opportunities and barriers for interventions
designed to prevent youth recruitment and participation in European drug markets projects was
launched in June 2025.1,2 It is a 2-year project that aims to identify effective ways to prevent
young people’s involvement in European drug markets.



Project team



The project is a collaboration between the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) and the Research
Evidence into Policy, Programmes and Practice (REPPP) team at the University of Limerick.

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Updates
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Recent publications
Prevalence and current situation

Associations and mediating factors between adverse childhood experiences and substance use
behaviours in early adulthood: a population-based longitudinal study

Mongan D, Millar S, Brennan M, et al. (2025) Addict. Behav. 161, 108194.
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Breaking barriers: a qualitative exploration of healthcare access for crack cocaine users in
Limerick

Duopah YA, Moran L, Elmusharaf K, et al. (2024) BMC Health Serv. Res. 24, 1450.
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New Irish study shows that the home environment and organised extracurricular activities
significantly influence adolescent cannabis use
by Seán Millar
A new Irish study based on the 2020 Planet Youth Survey has revealed that home life dynamics and
extracurricular activities significantly influence adolescent cannabis use.1 Conducted among nearly
5,000 secondary school students in Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon, the research provides insights into
factors linked to teenage substance use in Ireland. Speaking about the study, first author Dr Fionn
Daly said:



Although adolescent cannabis use is a significant public health concern, there is limited evidence
on how the home environment and involvement in extracurricular activities correlate with teenage
cannabis use in Ireland. Therefore, we analysed responses from adolescents who participated in the
Planet Youth 2020 – Growing Up in the West survey, which was an anonymous questionnaire available to
all school-going adolescents residing in the western region of Ireland.

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2024 Drug treatment demand
by Tiina Lynch and Paula Tierney
Published in May 2025, the latest report from the National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS)
presents data on treated problem drug use (excluding alcohol) for the year 2024, and on trends for
the eight-year period from 2017 to 2024.1



Key findings 2024



In 2024, 13,295 cases were treated for problem drug use. This is the highest annual number of cases
recorded by the NDTRS to date. Cocaine was the most common drug reported among new cases entering
drug treatment, accounting for almost one-half of new treatment demand. Cocaine was also the most
common problem drug generating treatment demand for those aged 20–44 years. Until 2023, opioids had
been the main problem drug for cases aged 35 years and over.

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Merchants Quay Ireland annual review, 2023
by Seán Millar
Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) is a national voluntary agency providing services for homeless people
and those who use drugs. There are 27 MQI locations in 14 counties in the Republic of Ireland (see
Figure 1). MQI aims to offer accessible, high-quality, and effective services to people dealing with
homelessness and addiction to meet their complex needs in a non-judgemental and compassionate way.
This article highlights services provided by MQI to people who used drugs in Ireland in 2023.1

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National Self-Harm Registry Ireland annual report, 2022 and 2023
by Seán Millar
In March 2025, the National Suicide Research Foundation published the 2022–2023 National Self-Harm
Registry Ireland annual report.1 The report contains information relating to every recorded
presentation of deliberate self-harm to acute hospital emergency departments in Ireland in 2022 and
2023, as well as details of complete national coverage of cases treated. All individuals who were
alive on admission to hospital following deliberate self-harm were included, along with the methods
of deliberate self-harm that were used. Accidental overdoses of medication, street drugs, or alcohol
were not included.

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EU Roadmap to fight drug trafficking and organised crime 2023
by Ciara H Guiney
Organised crime that involves illicit drugs is viewed as the ‘most serious security threat facing
Europe today, and the situation is escalating’ (p. 1).1 On 18 October 2023, the European Commission
adopted the EU Roadmap to fight drug trafficking and organised crime.1 The roadmap is aligned with
the European Commission’s ongoing implementation of the European Union (EU) Strategy on Organised
Crime 2021-2025,2 and the EU Drugs Strategy and Action Plan 2021-2025, 3,4 hereafter called the EU
strategies.



EU strategies and response



The EU strategies outline several ‘holistic EU polices’ that aim to target these threats (p. 2),
such as:

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