Narcotics deman: Drug Seizures in the Republic plummeted to a near 15-year low last year and are now back at levels not seen since before the economic boom, unpublished figures seen by The Irish Times reveal.
Seizures for last year show the drug market has completely collapsed, mirroring the rest of the economy.
Such has been the devastating effect of the recession on the illegal drug market, it appears not to have benefited at all last year from the closure of head shops.
The value of the main drug types seized by the Garda in 2010 was the lowest since 1997, having peaked in 2007 and 2008 when the wider economy also peaked.
Garda sources said most recreational drug users had cut down on their consumption or had stopped completely as a result of the recession.
Source: Conor Lally, The Irish Times, 20/06/2011
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