News & Events
New report on problem drug use in Cork city published
A new report on problem drug use (PDU) has been published. The study, commissioned by the Health Service Executive (HSE) Cork and Kerry and Cork City Council, examined the scale of problem PDU in Cork city using multiple data sources.
PDU is defined as recurrent drug use that is causing harm to an individual or is placing them at a high probability or risk of suffering harm. Substances associated with PDU include opioids (such as heroin), cocaine (powder and crack), amphetamines, benzodiazepines, Z-drugs and gabapentinoids. PDU can lead to many harms for populations and individuals such as increased criminal activity, drug-related litter, increased risk of infectious diseases passed on from shared syringes and needles, substance use disorders, overdoses and death.
Problem Drug Use in Cork City Report
“To date, studies on PDU in Ireland have largely been conducted at a national level or have concentrated on Dublin city. Our report is the first to assess the scale of PDU in an Irish city other than Dublin and provides a template for how future studies may be conducted in other Irish and European cities using available data sources” said lead author Ms Lauren Muttucomaroe.
The research, which was undertaken by the School of Public Health, University College Cork, and colleagues in the Health Research Board and National Suicide Research Foundation, estimated that there were 859 problematic opioid users in Cork city in 2022.
“Importantly, our study suggests that almost one-third of opioid users in Cork city are unknown to treatment services”, said co-study lead Dr Seán Millar.
The research also noted an increase in the use of cocaine (including crack) and amphetamines, with these increases being noticeably pronounced among young adults. Between 2018 and 2021 there was a total of 487 self-harm presentations related to PDU by Cork city residents. During this period there was an average of 35 deaths each year due to PDU recorded. Opioids were the main drug implicated in poisoning deaths (75.7%), followed by benzodiazepines (59.3%), gabapentinoids (27.9%) and cocaine (14.3%).
Commenting on the report, co-study lead Dr Michael Byrne said “Our study shows that PDU is taking place in Cork city, with a number of associated harms. Though Cork city has a variety of harm reduction services that deal with education, assessment, treatment and post-treatment support, the disconnect between problem drug users and these programmes may benefit from additional services. Ongoing research in this area will be crucial for effective service planning and to allow policymakers to evaluate the impact of strategies aimed at reducing drug-related harms”.
An electronic copy of the report is available from the National Drugs Library at: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/42736
For more on this story contact:
Seán Millar, MPH, PhD s.millar@ucc.ie