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22/11/2011
Cannabis 'Favoured Illegal Drug' Across Island
All the 'dope' on illegal drug use across Ireland has been revealed today with the publication of the Drug Use in Ireland and Northern Ireland: First results from the 2010/11 Drug Prevalence Survey.
Cannabis is the most popular illegal drug according to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) Bulletin, published jointly with the National Advisory Committee on Drugs in Ireland after a survey carried out between October 2010 and May 2011.
Among the key findings relating to drug prevalence in Northern Ireland in 2010/11 are that 27% of respondents aged 15-64 years reported taking any illegal drugs at some point in their life.
Republic of Ireland
Cannabis was also the most commonly reported illegal drug used across the whole of Ireland, with 24% of all adults reported having ever used it in NI; 5% of respondent reported using cannabis in the last year; and 3% of respondents reported using it in the last month.
The National Advisory Committee on Drugs has shown that recent and current levels of illegal drug use were mainly stable in the Republic of Ireland between 2006/7 and 2010/11.
NACD Chairperson Dr. Des Corrigan stated in Dublin: "While some legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco are included, the main focus of the survey was to obtain prevalence rates for illegal drugs, such as cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine and heroin on a lifetime (ever used), last year (recent use) and last month (current use) basis.
"It is significant that the level of recent and current drug use has been mainly stable between 2006/7 and 2010/11 for all illegal drugs."
Dr. Corrigan continued: "The overall prevalence rate for last year use of any illegal drug was 7% in 2010/11 compared to 7.2% in 2006/07.
"Cannabis continues to be the most commonly used illegal drug, with 25% of respondents having ever used the drug, 6% reported having used cannabis in the last year and 3% in the last month.
"New psychoactive substances (4%) and cocaine (1.5%) were reported as being the next most widely used illicit drugs," he added.
The survey found that in Ireland lifetime use of any illegal drugs increased from 24% in 2006/7 to 27% in 2010/11 among (15-64 years). Increases were also found in lifetime use of cannabis (from 22% - 25%) and cocaine powder (from 5% to 7%).
The Minister of State Róisín Shortall who launched the report in Dublin today said: "While acknowledging that we have a significant drug problem she welcomed the fact that the steady increase in usage that we saw in the early 2000s has been stemmed.
"We need to push on now to encourage and facilitate more people to progress to a drug-free lifestyle," she said.
(BMcC/GK)
Cannabis is the most popular illegal drug according to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) Bulletin, published jointly with the National Advisory Committee on Drugs in Ireland after a survey carried out between October 2010 and May 2011.
Among the key findings relating to drug prevalence in Northern Ireland in 2010/11 are that 27% of respondents aged 15-64 years reported taking any illegal drugs at some point in their life.
Republic of Ireland
Cannabis was also the most commonly reported illegal drug used across the whole of Ireland, with 24% of all adults reported having ever used it in NI; 5% of respondent reported using cannabis in the last year; and 3% of respondents reported using it in the last month.
The National Advisory Committee on Drugs has shown that recent and current levels of illegal drug use were mainly stable in the Republic of Ireland between 2006/7 and 2010/11.
NACD Chairperson Dr. Des Corrigan stated in Dublin: "While some legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco are included, the main focus of the survey was to obtain prevalence rates for illegal drugs, such as cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine and heroin on a lifetime (ever used), last year (recent use) and last month (current use) basis.
"It is significant that the level of recent and current drug use has been mainly stable between 2006/7 and 2010/11 for all illegal drugs."
Dr. Corrigan continued: "The overall prevalence rate for last year use of any illegal drug was 7% in 2010/11 compared to 7.2% in 2006/07.
"Cannabis continues to be the most commonly used illegal drug, with 25% of respondents having ever used the drug, 6% reported having used cannabis in the last year and 3% in the last month.
"New psychoactive substances (4%) and cocaine (1.5%) were reported as being the next most widely used illicit drugs," he added.
The survey found that in Ireland lifetime use of any illegal drugs increased from 24% in 2006/7 to 27% in 2010/11 among (15-64 years). Increases were also found in lifetime use of cannabis (from 22% - 25%) and cocaine powder (from 5% to 7%).
The Minister of State Róisín Shortall who launched the report in Dublin today said: "While acknowledging that we have a significant drug problem she welcomed the fact that the steady increase in usage that we saw in the early 2000s has been stemmed.
"We need to push on now to encourage and facilitate more people to progress to a drug-free lifestyle," she said.
(BMcC/GK)
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