Cocaine abuse is back at boom-time levels, a leading drug addiction expert has said.
Prof Colin O’Gara, consultant psychiatrist and head of addiction services at Saint John of God Hospital, said the numbers being treated for cocaine addiction were at 2007 levels.
“Back in 2007 we set up a service specifically for cocaine addiction at the hospital [St John of God]. When the economy went into freefall we saw cocaine being swapped for head shop drugs until legislation was tightened up and the prevalence of those drugs receded.
“Overall cocaine addiction went down in line with the economy, but it has been increasing steadily from 2013 to now. We are back at 2007 levels where cocaine abuse is very prevalent and is a very common presentation to acute services at St John of God.”
Figures from the Health Research Board published earlier this week show the number of people being treated for cocaine addiction is 60 per cent higher than it was three years ago.
The proportion of females reporting cocaine as their main problem drug rose from 14 per cent in 2010 to 23 per cent in 2016.
Source: Aine McMahon, The Irish Times, 03/06/18
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