Drug users shun heroin in favour of coke—study

Young drug users are shunning heroin in favour of cocaine and prescription drugs, according to new research.

But because government drugs policy is focused on heroin a "false positive" in the so-called war on drugs has been created.

The study, which was carried out by NUI Maynooth, found a strong stigma against heroin use among 16 to 25 year olds, who used many other substances, including cocaine and prescription drugs.

Lead researcher Dr A Jamie Saris said current Government policy was too focussed on heroin abuse to deal with younger addicts.

"The big problem is that, 'drugs', from a treatment perspective, has traditionally meant heroin," Dr Saris said yesterday.

"The apparent levelling off of the need for a very opiate-centric treatment service . . . is deceptive.

"Many people, especially those under 25, seem to be using other drugs," he said.

The study followed nearly 100 drug users in Dublin's south city for a year and found that while the Government classified those on methadone programmes as in treatment, the reality was that most abused drugs.

Some 63pc of those on methadone said they had used heroin in the past three months, 30pc crack cocaine, 22pc powder cocaine, 46pc street tranquillisers and 50pc prescribed tranquillisers.

Source: Jason O'Brien, The Irish Independent, 09/07/2010