Number Of Irish People With Cocaine Problem Doubled In Six Years

The number of people presenting with a cocaine problem has almost doubled in 6 years.

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According to figures from the Health Research Board, around 9,000 people were treated for drug problems in 2017. That figure is down from almost 10,000 in 2015.

However, the figures for cocaine problems are on the rise.

The new report shows a total of 1,500 cases were treated for cocaine use in 2017. That's almost double the number of cases in 2011. In just one year, the number rose by a third between 2016 and 2017.

Doctor Suzi Lyons is Senior Researcher at the HRB and says the the return of the boom could be one of the reasons behind the rise:

"It does mirror the economy to a certain amount because we saw a dip in the numbers treated for problem cocaine use in 2011, 2012 and they've increased ever since then".

Heroin is still the biggest problem drug with 45% of cases, but the numbers are down nearly 12% between 2011 and 2017.

The HRB report also shows that cannabis is the most common drug among people seeking treatment for the first time.

The average age for new cannabis cases was 21 years, compared to 32 years for opiates and 28 years for cocaine.