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THE NUMBER OF people reporting problem cocaine use is at its highest since 2010, latest drug treatment figures from the Health Research Board (HRB) have found.
The substance, usually snorted, remains the third most common drug reported by those seeking treatment. In 2015, 10.4% of cases reported it as their main drug, the highest proportion since the start of the decade.
The use of cannabis among those seeking treatment also rose dramatically – by 72% between 2009 and 2015.
Data released today reveals there were 61,439 cases of treatment for problem drug use in Ireland between 2009 and 2015. Treated cases increased from 7,479 cases in 2009, to 9,892 in 2015.
The number of people being treated for cannabis, the second-most common drug for that cohort, increased from 1,616 in 2009 to 2,786 in 2015. The figures also show that cannabis is the most common drug reported by new cases.
While opiates (mainly heroin) were found to be the most commonly reported problem drug, the proportion of cases treated decreased from 60.6% in 2009 to 47.8% six years later.
A stark increase in the proportion of cases reporting benzodiazepines as a main problem drug was found, with an increase of 185% in the six-year period. Just 206 cases were reported in 2009, in comparison to 873 cases in 2015.
Commenting on the trends, Dr Suzi Lyons, senior researcher at the HRB said: “In 2009, more than six out of 10 cases reported opiates as their main problem, while in 2015 less than five in 10 cases reported opiates. But we can see from the figures that other drugs have increased, mainly cannabis and benzodiazepines.”
The most common age of people receiving treatment increased from 28 years to 30 years. Seven in every 10 were male, while the proportion who were homeless increased from 5.6% to 9.2% in 2015.
“Overall numbers of cases continued to increase until 2014 and then stabilised in 2015. However there are changes related to types of drugs reported and a decrease in new cases presenting for treatment,” Lyons said.
She noted that the figures also show a decrease in the number of people presenting for treatment for the first time.
However, this means there has been an increase in the proportion of previously treated cases, or people returning for treatment, which is an indicator of the chronic, relapsing nature of the addiction.”
Unlike the majority of trends reported, injecting behaviour was found to remain relatively stable over the reporting period at around one-third of all cases.
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Two years ago I had an accident that involved my hand getting cut with a chainsaw (seriously don’t ask!). It all healed up well but I developed a granuloma which is just basically a bump of gooey skin that healed to fast. I needed it removed and they gave me a date for six weeks later to get it removed. In the mean time I fell up the stairs causing the lump to just rip off. I rang to cancel the appointment because I obviously no longer needed it removed. Two years later I am still getting letters giving me new appointments because I didn’t show up for my previous one. I’ve rang every time I’ve gotten a letter to explain and they are still sending me letters. I think it’s about time that they started to worry about the people that really need day procedures and stop concerning themselves with people that don’t or aren’t bothered.
What happened?
Holding a stick and it hopped when my dad was sawing it and it pulled my hand under the chainsaw! I now only have three and a half fingernails on one hand! But hey I look real cool now!
Only when people need these services themselves or they see close friends and family suffering do they realize how big this problem is….to everyone else it’s just numbers. Our healthcare is nearly third world…god help anyone who needs it.
Our healthcare is world class – that’s part of the problem, illnesses that would previously have meant people would never even be considered for surgery are now just a routine part of the history.
Waiting lists are due to a great many things – a big one being the difficulty in emptying beds once people are well. Funding has long since disappeared for things like step down or convalescence placements, so patients end up stuck in beds that could be used to reduce waiting lists.
“Nearly third world”????? If you had ever seen a third world health system you would realise that, no matter what problems our system has, there is a VAST spectrum of quality between Ireland and the Third World.
Idiot.
I think Dominic meant in comparison to what it was, or could be, the quality of our Health System has seriously gone down hill in recent times.
I was talking to a surgeon from Sudan a few weeks ago, he told me how he and a few colleagues wanted to kit out an entire operating theatre in the Sudan with all the equipment needed to run it, from monitors to lights and operating tables. If he bought them here he’d have to buy from a prescribed list of approved manufacturers and that would cost anywhere from 300k to 500k, far beyond their budget. He asked an engineer what he should do and was told to look elsewhere, he did. He got everything he needed for less than 30k, delivered, brand new, with guarantees and support. He and his colleagues are over the moon, they can now offer a state of the art service for free, as their clients have no money to pay – in the Third World.
This is where we are going wrong. We, in the so called First World believe we have to have the equipment that carries the recognized brand names, it has to come from “approved lists” and not common sense. It should be a case of can it do the same job, is it half the price, or even better a quarter the price. If a surgeon can kit out an entire theatre for 1/10 the price it costs here then surely we’re doing something wrong.
Jed I this is true, My husband lost hip due to infection in hospital, with only one hip he could not walk, I had to fight for almost a year with HSE for motor wheelchair, I was told it would be impossible as the ones they did have cost more than 8k, I went to a place that had the type of wheelchair my husband needed, the owner said he had his name registered with HSE and his Wchairs cost 1k. I wrote a letter to HSE asking why they used a dealer who was charging 8k, when they had another dealer with almost the same type of Wchair for 1k. The nurse who helped my husband at home read it and said she would like to take letter and show it to a few in HSE. Within 6 weeks my husband had his Wchair and guess who supplied it, the dealer at 1k. I asked then who was the dealer charging 8k, of course I got no reply this was 2 yrs ago. I can verify this at any time. The special bed my husband was given is actually rented from another company, seems a lot of these beds have been rented yearly by HSE along with a lot of other equipment for a very long time. Should I push my luck and ask how much they are paying for the bed/beds, also who these dealers/companies might be. I think people have a right to know where the millions are going.
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Good friend of mine is waiting a year for a triple by-pass with no sign of him getting it!! Absolute disgrace!!
Time to strike a deal with private hospitals.
Ironically enough, i bet they can do a lot of procedures cheaper.
Don’t know if appointments to see consultants count under this…but been waiting over 12 months to see a pain specialist now!
There is a waiting list to see consultants. There is a whole series of layers before you even get in a list to get treated.
Another fail by Reilly.
My brother has been waiting for hospital
Appointment for a few months now, not terribly urgent but still needs treatment. Got appointment yesterday for, wait for it…….June 14. Rang hospital to see if it’s a mistake but no.
I have been waiting for a routine scan for 4 yrs and the hospital called me 3 weeks ago to find out if I wanted to stay on the waiting list …… My response to that person was ” well I’ve been waiting 4 yrs sure what’s another 4 ” one does not know what the other is doing in the HSE system . We are all just a number …
Does having private health insurance makes any difference?
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