The next two to three years will see important changes in the coordination of the drug monitoring systems of the European Union (EU) and in the role played by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) in supporting research and science-based responses at the national level. The European Commission has presented a legislative proposal to revise the mandate of the EMCDDA to ensure that the agency is prepared to meet future challenges of the drugs phenomenon.

A progress report on the national drugs strategy was published in June 2021, entitled Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery: progress report 2020.¹ This forms part of the evidence base used for the midterm review of the national drug strategy.

The 2021 National Drugs Forum focused on future needs and how we can anticipate changing patterns in drug use and supply to ensure our responses are robust and ready to meet new challenges. The forum was held online on 23 November 2021. The Department of Health in November 2021 published the midterm review of the national drugs strategy and has begun work on the six strategy priorities for 2021–2025.¹ The forum provided an opportunity to reflect on the themes of preparation and foresight central to both national and European drug policies.

On 21 July 2021, the Council of the European Union (EU) (Foreign Affairs) approved the EU Drugs Action Plan 2021–2025, prepared under the Portuguese presidency of the EU.¹ The Action Plan is the mechanism through which the EU will implement the EU Drugs Strategy 2021–2025, which was approved by the Council of Europe in December 2020, and the content of which was discussed in a previous issue of Drugnet.^2,3

On 8 November 2021, the Global Drug Policy Index (GDPI) was launched.¹ The GDPI is a composite index that scores and ranks countries on how their national drug policies and their implementation align with a set of indicators that reflect the United Nations (UN) recommendations on human rights, health, and development. These are laid down in the UN System Common Position on drugs and, more specifically, the related 2019 UN report, What we have learned over the last ten years: a summary of knowledge acquired and produced by the UN system on drug-related matters.^2,3

On 13 August 2021, as part of the 2021 Government spending review process, the Focused policy assessment of Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery: an analysis of expenditure and performance in the area of drug and alcohol misuse was published.¹ This focused policy assessment (FPA) of the national drugs strategy² was prepared by staff of the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES) based jointly in the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

A midterm review of Ireland’s national drugs strategy was published on 17 November 2021, entitled Mid-term review of the national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery and strategic priorities 2021–2025.¹ It draws on a range of evidence sources to inform the strategic priorities and delivery structure for the remainder of the strategy’s lifetime.

The Report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce was published in September 2021 in response to a sector badly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.¹ Pubs, clubs, and other businesses dependent on the night-time economy closed for long periods of time in response to national and regional lockdowns. This report is a result of collaboration from a range of Government Departments and agencies whose remit covers aspects of the night-time economy.

A report by the World Health Organization (WHO), Making the WHO European Region SAFER, provides an overview of alcohol-attributable burden of disease in the WHO European Region.¹ It also updates the changes in alcohol consumption between 2010 and 2016 and provides guidance for countries to implement high-impact alcohol policies.

The i-mark initiative of supporting independence from alcohol industry influence was developed by the Irish Community Action on Alcohol Network (ICAAN). ICAAN is encouraging organisations to sign up to the initiative, join the movement, and use the i-mark logo in their work. In doing so, organisations can demonstrate their independence from alcohol industry influence and funding.

Following a protracted process, the Public Health (Alcohol) Act was signed into law in October 2018. The Act introduced new controls on alcohol marketing (which commenced in November 2019) with restrictions on some outdoor and cinema advertising as well as a ban on public transport advertising. Widespread evidence indicates that exposure to alcohol marketing is causally linked to consumption, including higher-risk drinking; however, to date, much of the research has focused on younger people. There is comparatively less understanding about the reach and impact of marketing on adults, including vulnerable groups. There is also a lack of consumer research examining the impact that legislation has on marketing awareness and the association with consumption.

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 2021, AAS published a report detailing referrals for 2020.¹

A visiting committee is appointed to each prison in Ireland under the Prisons (Visiting Committees) Act 1925 and the Prisons (Visiting Committees) Order 1925. Members of the 12 visiting committees are appointed by the Minister for Justice for a term not exceeding three years. The function of prison visiting committees is to visit, at frequent intervals, the prison to which they are appointed and hear any complaints that may be made to them by any prisoner.

Responding to Excessive Alcohol Consumption in Third-level (REACT) is an award and accreditation scheme for third-level institutions that carry out a set of activities to reduce alcohol-related harm among its students in Ireland.^1,2,3 A new study has been published based on qualitative data collected as part of the programme’s evaluation, entitled ‘College students’ perspectives on an alcohol prevention programme and student drinking – a focus group study’.⁴

November 2021 saw the implementation of Section 15 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018, which prohibits alcohol advertising in or on a sporting area in Ireland. This component of the Act along with other measures yet to commence, including content of advertising and a broadcast watershed, are intended to limit the exposure of alcohol marketing to children and young people in order to reduce the promotion of alcohol. This forms part of Ireland’s commitment to reduce overall alcohol use and to protect children from alcohol marketing.

The Tabor Group is a provider of residential addiction treatment services in Ireland. It aims to offer hope, healing, and recovery to clients suffering from addictions through integrated and caring services. In addition to two residential facilities, the organisation provides a continuing care programme to clients who have completed treatment in order to assist with their recovery as well as a community-based programme. Its family support programme offers counselling to families whose loved ones are struggling with an addiction. In 2021, the Tabor Group published its annual report for 2020.¹ This article highlights services provided by the Tabor Group to individuals with a substance use addiction in 2020.

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 illicit drug use. Figures from the service for 2019 were published in the hospital’s annual report in 2020.¹

The Civil Society Forum on Drugs (CSFD) has published a new report, entitled Quality standards of civil society involvement in drug policies.¹ It presents a set of quality standards for policymakers and civil society actors to work towards meaningful collaboration and effective policymaking.

In September 2021, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) published a manual offering practical advice to professionals implementing quality assurance in the area of drug demand reduction, entitled Implementing quality standards for drug services and systems: a six-step guide to support quality assurance.¹ The manual provides an overview of quality standards and how they fit within the broader area of quality assurance processes, as well as a six-step guide for those planning to implement them as part of a quality assurance project.

Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) is a national voluntary agency providing services for homeless people and those that use drugs. There are 22 MQI locations in 12 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 in order to meet their complex needs in a non-judgemental and compassionate way. This article highlights services provided by MQI to people who use drugs in Ireland in 2019.¹

Based on the 2016 Census, the Trinity National Deprivation Index ranked Ballymun in Dublin as one of the most disadvantaged communities, if not the most disadvantaged community, in the Republic of Ireland.¹ Ballymun has a long history of drug and heroin use dating back to the 1980s; it remains the community with the highest level of people with problematic opiate use in the country – 10 times greater than the national average.² Also of note, Ballymun has suffered from serious criminality in recent years associated with open drug dealing and a surge in crack cocaine usage.³