Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

An important element of any policy is the knowledge upon which it is based. In the context of the national drugs strategy, I strongly recognise the need for good information on the nature and extent of drug misuse in Ireland to influence the development and roll-out of the strategy.

Research is one of the five pillars of the NDS. The key objective under this pillar is to have valid, timely and comparable data available on the extent of drug misuse in Ireland. In that context, the national advisory committee on drugs was established six or seven years ago to advise the Government on the prevalence, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and consequences of problem drug use in Ireland, based on its analysis of research findings and information available to it. As regards prevalence, the Deputy should note that the NACD, in conjunction with the drug and alcohol information and research unit in Northern Ireland, published a series of bulletins based on results from an all-island drug prevalence survey 2002-03. That study found that19%, almost one in five, of respondents on the island of Ireland reported ever having taken an illegal drug. Cannabis was the most commonly used illegal drug. Lifetime prevalence rates for cannabis were 17% in Ireland and current rates of use were 2.6%. Aside from cannabis, the most common drugs ever used were: ecstasy 5%; magic mushrooms, LSD and poppers 4% each; amphetamines 3%; solvents and cocaine 2% each; heroin 0.4%, and crack 0.3%.

The second all-island drugs prevalence survey is currently in progress and it is expected that preliminary results will be available in the latter part of this year. This will give much greater clarity on the overall current prevalence rates of drug use in Ireland.

See this speech in context