One in 10 men living in Ireland has tried cocaine at some stage in their life, a cross-border poll has revealed.
But people are using the drug less since the economic boom years — some because of its cost and others because of health worries.
Orla Dempsey, researcher with the National Advisory Committee on Drugs and Alcohol (NACDA), said men and women were kicking the habit for different reasons.
“The main reason for stopping among men and young people is that they can no longer afford to use cocaine,” she said.
“Whereas older adults and females just don’t want to use it any more. That was their reason for stopping.”
The study of 7,669 people aged between 15 and 64, here and in Northern Ireland, found that 7% of the island’s population had tried cocaine at least once.
This figure was up slightly since the last poll a few years ago, but that it is to be expected in an ageing population.
Source: Brian Hutton, Irish Examiner, 09/04/14
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