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Welcome
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Publication of EU Drugs Strategy 2021–2025
by Lucy Dillion
On 18 December 2020, the EU Drugs Strategy 2021–2025 was approved by the Council of Europe.1 The
strategy outlines the overarching political framework and priorities of the drugs policy of the
European Union (EU) for the period.

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Policy
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EU Drugs Strategy 2021–2025: policy areas, themes, and strategic priorities
by Lucy Dillion
This article outlines the policy areas, cross-cutting themes, and strategic priorities of the EU
Drugs Strategy 2021–2025.

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Evaluation of EU Drugs Strategy 2013–2020
by Lucy Dillion
The new European Union (EU) Drugs Strategy 2021–20251 was published in December 2020 and is
discussed in other articles in this issue of Drugnet. It is informed by the findings of the
evaluation of the EU Drugs Strategy 2013–2020 and the EU Action Plan on Drugs 2017–2020, which was
published in July 2020.2,3

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Most recent regulations of Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 implemented
by Anne Doyle
October 2018 saw the much-anticipated enactment of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act1 and heralded a
recognition by the Irish Government that our nation’s harmful relationship with alcohol could no
longer be ignored. The legislation seeks to limit the damage to the nation’s health, society, and
economy by reducing alcohol consumption; delaying the initiation of alcohol consumption by children
and young people; reducing the harms caused by the misuse of alcohol; and ensuring the supply and
price of alcohol is regulated and controlled in order to minimise the possibility and incidence of
alcohol-related harm.

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Coordination, framing, and innovation: the political sophistication of public health advocates in
Ireland
The alcohol industry and the public health community formed two opposing coalitions during the
policy debate.3 The alcohol industry’s success in resisting population-level approaches to alcohol
policy has been identified in Ireland4,5,6,7–11 and elsewhere.12–20 In contrast, public health
advocates have typically had limited success. Yet in this case, public health advocates in Ireland
have developed sophisticated political strategies to foster major alcohol policy change.

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Prevalence
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Self-harm in Irish prisons
by Seán Millar
The Self-Harm Assessment and Data Analysis (SADA) Project was set up in Ireland in 2016 to provide
robust information relating to the incidence and profile of self-harm within prison settings as well
as individual-specific and context-specific risk factors relating to self-harm. In addition, it
examines patterns of repeat self-harm (both non-fatal and fatal). The Health Service Executive’s
National Office for Suicide Prevention and the National Suicide Research Foundation assist the Irish
Prison Service with data management, data analysis, and reporting. This article highlights findings
from a report presenting data in the analysis of all episodes of self-harm across the Irish prison
estate during the year 2018.1

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Irish drug quantification trends for cocaine, diamorphine, and amphetamine 2016–2019
by Sarah Hanniffy and Yvonne Kavanagh
Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) is an associated office of the Department of Justice delivering
comprehensive scientific analysis, independent expert opinion, advice, and training to support the
Irish criminal justice system. The analysis of substances that are suspected to contravene the
Misuse of Drugs legislation comprises the majority of submitted cases to FSI. Analysis of these
cases is carried out by the Chemical Analysis Department in FSI and cases range in both content and
complexity.

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Cannabis use among Irish children: results from the 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children
Survey
The first Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Survey was conducted in Ireland in 1998
and has been repeated every four years ever since. In 2018, the study was conducted in Ireland for
the sixth time. This survey included 15,557 children aged 8 to 18 years, drawn from a representative
sample of 255 primary and post-primary schools across Ireland. Data were collected on general
health, social class, smoking, use of alcohol and other substances, food and dietary behaviour,
exercise and physical activity, self-care, injuries, bullying, and sexual health behaviours.

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Recent research
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Evidence review of drug treatment services for people who are homeless and use drugs
by Brian Galvin
The Irish national drugs strategy aims to improve access to treatment services for people who are
homeless who use drugs and have complex needs. On behalf of the Department of Health, the Health
Research Board commissioned the Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research (SACASR),
the University of Stirling, and the Public Health Institute at Liverpool John Moores University to
systematically review and synthesise the international evidence on the efficacy of interventions
designed to serve this population. This synthesis will inform policies, currently under review,
regarding the provision of services to people who are homeless.

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Debts, threats, distress, and hope: drug-related intimidation in Dublin’s north east inner city
by Ciara H Guiney
It has been known that drug-related intimidation (DRI) impacts on many Irish communities. The
Drug-Related Intimidation Initiative (DRII) project was established in 2019 to examine this issue in
Dublin’s north east inner city (NEIC). The main objectives of the initiative were twofold: first to
provide support to individuals experiencing DRI and second to conduct research into these
experiences to increase knowledge and understanding from the perspective of the victim, perpetrator,
or both, with the final aim of developing good practice guidelines to respond to DRI (p. 6).1

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Lifting the lid on Bluetown and Redtown
by Ciara H Guiney
On 27 January 2021, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD launched ground-breaking research carried
out by the Research Evidence into Policy Programmes and Practice (REPPP) Project team at the
University of Limerick. Overall, there were three reports: Lifting the lid on Bluetown,1 Lifting the
lid on Redtown,2 and a national prevalence study.3 This article presents a synthesis of the Bluetown
and Redtown studies.1,2

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Correlates of cannabis use and cannabis use disorder in Ireland
by Seán Millar
The prevalence of cannabis use has increased in many developed countries in recent years. In the
Republic of Ireland, the most recent national survey, conducted in 2014/15, found that 27.9% of
people aged 15–64 years had used cannabis at some point in their lives, with 7.7% and 4.4% having
used cannabis within the last year or last month.

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Factors associated with early and later dropout from methadone maintenance treatment in specialist
addiction clinics
by Emma McGrath
Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a significant contributor to morbidity and premature mortality and
represents a major public health problem worldwide.

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Pathways to ‘recovery’ and social reintegration: experiences of Irish long-term clients of methadone
maintenance treatment
by Emma McGrath
Approaches to addiction treatment remain a source of ongoing policy debate worldwide

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In brief
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In brief
Governments have always planned for the future, with varying degrees of success. However, the
State’s efforts to anticipate the needs of future generations rarely capture the imagination of
populations more focused on current economic conditions, access to public services, and social
stability. The events of 2020/2021 may signal a shift in the priorities of electorates. There has
been a move towards climate realism in wealthier countries and a recognition of the need to prepare
for the next pandemic. Making changes now to avert possible catastrophes decades in the future is no
longer seen as a distraction from current policy concerns, but as an inevitable and core part of the
State’s responsibilities to its present and future citizens.

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New publications
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Recent Publications
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Responses
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Brass Munkie winter 2020 issue published
UISCE, the Union for Improved Services, Communication and Education for People Who Use Drugs,
published the 37th issue of Brass Munkie in winter 2020.1 UISCE has been publishing the newsletter
since 1992, with content written by service users and service providers. It includes news,
interviews with service providers and users, information about services, advice about harm reduction
interventions, opinion pieces, and other outputs, such as poems, relevant to the experiences of
people who use drugs (PWUD). Brass Munkie covers a wide range of topics and the latest issue is no
exception. Just some of the content of issue 37 is outlined in this article.

Brass Munkie issue 37, winter 2020

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