Cocaine surpasses opiates and becomes the second most widely used illicit drug in Ireland

IRELAND CONTINUES to have the third highest number of drug-related deaths in Europe, according to a new annual report from the EU drug agency.

The European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) also reports that cocaine has now become the second most widely used illicit drug in Ireland.

The agency has raised concerns about record cocaine seizures across the continent in 2018.

The report also warns that innovations made during the Covid-19 pandemic could have long-term implications for law enforcement agencies.

EMCDDA Director Alexis Goosdeel noted that the pandemic has had an immediate and disruptive impact on drug use, supply and services and has highlighted the needs of drug users.

“While we will have to assess the long-term impact of the pandemic, in the short term we already see that large-scale drug trafficking has been largely unaffected and digitally-enabled drug markets have become more popular,” said.

“As the economic repercussions of the crisis take effect, some in our communities may become more vulnerable to drug problems and drug market share, putting further pressure on our already exhausted services.” .

Cocaine seizures across Europe have reached an all-time high in 2018 and the continent is now experiencing an “unprecedented level” of availability of the drug, the agency warns.

According to the report, more than 181 tons of cocaine were seized in 2018, the latest year for which data is available, up from the previous record of 138 tons in 2017.

He also noted that although the purity of the drug has increased in recent years, the retail price of the drug across the continent has remained stable.

“Taken together with seizure data, these indicators suggest that cocaine availability in Europe is at an unprecedented level,” the report says.

In an Irish-specific briefing on the report, the Health Research Board notes that cocaine has become the second most common problem drug in Ireland, after ranking third behind opioids and cannabis between 2015 and 2018 .

Crack cocaine accounted for 14.3% of all cases treated for cocaine as a major problem last year, compared to 11.3% of cases in 2018.

Meanwhile, cannabis was the most common main problem for all cases (23.5%) and new cases (37.8%) that entered drug treatment programs last year.

The Minister of State for the National Drug Strategy, Frank Feighan, said the report highlights the serious challenges created by illicit drugs and their potency.

“As the minister responsible for the National Drug Strategy, I am committed to strengthening early harm reduction responses to current and emerging drug use trends and patterns in Ireland,” he added.