Soaring cocaine use ‘changing Ireland’s health care landscape’ in Ireland

The demand for help with cocaine addiction has risen dramatically in the Republic of Ireland, new figures reveal.

In 2023, according to Health Research Board (HRB) data, cocaine was the most common drug reported by people seeking treatment, accounting for one in three cases.

Earlier this year, the Citizens’ Assembly on Drug Use called for the wholesale liberalisation of laws on the possession of illegal drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, heroin, and opioids.

Key findings

HRB said there were 13,104 cases treated for problem drug use last year, the highest annual recorded figure for the second year in a row.

“Cocaine,” it reported, “remains the most common main drug among new cases in 2023, accounting for almost half (46%) of new cases”.

The state-funded organisation found that between 2017 and 2023 there was a 388% increase among females seeking treatment for cocaine, from 284 cases in 2017 to 1,387 in 2023.

Figures came from the National Drug Treatment Reporting System, which records cases of drug and alcohol treatment in Ireland.

Violent crime

HRB Research Officer Dr Anne Marie Carew said cocaine use “is changing the landscape in terms of treatment demand in Ireland” and expressed concern at “the sharp increase” among females seeking help.

Prior to the figures being released, Pauline McKeown, a treatment centre director, told The Guardian that 36 per cent of their admissions in 2023 “were for powder cocaine, and we expect this number to keep rising”.

Siobhán Maher, coordinator at the Government-backed Drug Related Intimidation and Violence Engagement project warned of the rising tide of criminality associated with the drug.

Cocaine, she explained, is driving gun crime, arson, violence and abuse. She added: “It’s not a problem that’s going to go away. If we don’t act now, it is only going to get a lot worse.”