Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 84: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on the recent 2006 annual report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction; his views on its finding that drugs in Europe are at their cheapest for five years and are probably cheaper than ever before; his further views on the levels of drug use here that are instanced in the report, particularly in relation to cocaine use among young urban males; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42841/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) annual report for 2006 as it provides us with a contextual framework through which to examine our experience of problem drug use from an overall European perspective.

Any finding that drugs are at their cheapest for five years, and are probably cheaper than ever before, serves to emphasise the scale of the challenge we face in dealing with the global problems of illicit drugs. Having said that, and as the report points out, data on street prices is difficult to collect and to interpret as there is considerable potential for variation due to purity, quantity and variety of substance bought. I would also point out that data from Ireland was not included in that part of survey.

The prevalence statistics for Ireland used in the report arise from the 2002/2003 Drug Prevalence Survey and so the information has been available for some time.

The figures for the broad category of psycho-stimulants (amphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy) indicate that, while lifetime prevalence among young adults (15-34 years) for ecstasy was significantly higher than for cocaine, there was little difference between the last year prevalence rates, while the last month rates showed cocaine slightly ahead of ecstasy. These figures would suggest an increasing preference for cocaine.

I have been aware for some time of the anecdotal evidence of increased cocaine prevalence and, for this reason, last year I asked the National Advisory Committee on Drugs and the National Drugs Strategy Team to prepare a Briefing Paper on cocaine. This Paper was presented at the last Inter-Departmental Group on Drugs (IDG) meeting in September 2006 and the matters arising from it will be followed up further at the next IDG meeting, which is being held tomorrow.

The second Drug Prevalence Survey, which will provide much information on the extent of the illicit drugs problem and the trends emerging, is now in progress and first reports from this will become available in autumn 2007.