National Drug Treatment Reporting System 2011-2017 drug data (HRB)

Latest figures from the Health Research Board show 63,303 cases presented for treatment for problem drug use (excluding alcohol) between 2011 and 2017. The number of treated cases increased from 8,361 in 2011 to 9,892 in 2015, and then decreased to 8,922 in 2017.

• In 2017, opiates, mainly heroin, remain the most common drugs reported among cases. treated for problem drug use. However, the proportion of opiate cases has fallen in recent years.
• Cannabis, cocaine and benzodiazepines were the second, third and fourth most common drugs reported by cases in treatment in 2017.
• There was a 38% increase in the number of cocaine cases between 2016 and 2017.

Key findings 

In 2017, 8,922 cases were treated for problem drug use. The number of new cases decreased from 3,316 in 2011 to 3,257 in 2017. New cases accounted for 37% of all cases treated in 2017, as compared to 40% of all cases in 2011.

Read more: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/30197/