There's been a slight rise in the number of people taking illegal drugs in Ireland.
A new report from the Department of Health shows illegal drug use went up by 1.9% between 2010 and 2015.
Cannabis continues to be the most commonly used drug, with lifetime usage of 24% and usage in the last year of 6.5%. Of those who took cannabis last year, 24.3% admit to being cannabis dependent.
Two-thirds of people asked in the survey don't agree with the recreational use of cannabis (66.4%, down from 69.2% in 2010/11), but three-quarters think it should be allowed for medical reasons (74.5%, up from 65.8% in 2010/11).
The report also found more than one in four people (26.4%) over the age of 15 has taken an illegal drug in their lifetime, with 7.5% using an illegal drug in the past 12 months.
The government say the figures show there's still a need for measures to stop people from becoming addicted, especially young people in disadvantaged areas.
Minister for Health Promotion and the National Drugs Strategy Catherine Byrne TD said: "A number of actions in “Reducing Harm Supporting Recovery” address the survey findings, especially the continuing need for preventative measures that focus on young people.
Source: The Irish Examiner, 14/09/18
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