We're drinking less and generally more health conscious. So why is cocaine use increasing?

Irish Times

a day ago

A major generational shift has occurred in Irish society without much fanfare.
Alcohol
consumption in Ireland has collapsed. A report commissioned by the
Drinks Industry Group of Ireland
published this month showed the average alcohol consumption per adult in Ireland fell 4.5 per cent in 2024 compared with 2023. The story over the course of two decades is much more profound. Since 2001, alcohol consumption per adult in Ireland fell by 34.3 per cent.
Today, people in Ireland are drinking at average European levels (a good argument for reducing excise taxes). The
Health Research Board
's 2024 report on alcohol showed Ireland is no longer a high alcohol consumption country by
European Union
or OECD standards.
This is a remarkable shift, great news for public health, and will have a positive knock-on effect for decades to come.
The reasons suggested for this can come off as anecdotal or vague, but like any behavioural shift, there tends to be multiple factors at once. What we do know is that this is a trend led by younger generations, who are less likely to reach for the bottle compared with their older siblings and parents. The data consistently show this. A report by Red C in April – part of broader polling across 39 countries – showed that 21 per cent of 18- to 24-year olds drink often, compared with 31 per cent of all adults, and 48 per cent of older men.
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Younger people are more health conscious and therefore more mindful of the damage alcohol and hangovers cause to the body and mind. Alcohol is also as expensive as it has ever been in Ireland. Student life has changed due to the housing and rental crisis, with fewer younger people living independently as Ireland has regressed to a context more akin to the early 20th century, with people living with their parents well into adulthood. Younger people are also more attuned to their mental and emotional wellbeing, and less likely than Generation X adults to hit the bottle to dissociate under the guise of 'relaxing' or reducing stress. There is less peer pressure among younger people to drink compared with the social culture older generations fostered within their peer groups, and less judgment around sobriety. The trend of alcohol-free months can also reduce people's consumption in the short and medium term, and sometimes embed lifelong moderation. Ultimately, younger people are more grown up and responsible when it comes to alcohol.
For all the progress made around alcohol, there is a major youth public-health issue regarding cocaine use. This is not being addressed in anything approaching something effective
All of this speaks to a sense of maturity, confidence and capacity to be grounded enough and able to exert at least some kind of self-control that was absent among older generations. What has been happening concurrently is that more people are using therapy and other resources to address their mental health needs. According to the most recent St Patrick's Mental Health Stigma and Attitudes Survey, in 2024, 66 per cent of people who were experiencing mental health difficulties sought treatment, an increase of 10 per cent from 2023. A movement from self-medicating to self-care is a sign of collective emotional growth. It demonstrates a capacity for self-reflection and self-examination, as well as a reduction in stigma around seeking help for mental health challenges.
But there is something else happening alongside the decline in alcohol consumption, and that's the rise in cocaine use. A 2023
United Nations
report showed that Ireland is, remarkably, the joint-fourth highest consumer of cocaine globally.
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Cocaine cited as main drug in almost two-fifths of cases needing treatment
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Demographically, this is a younger person's issue. Among 15 to 34-year-olds, Ireland has the distinction of being home to the biggest consumers of cocaine in Europe. In 2024, the median age for those seeking treatment for powder cocaine use was 32 years old. Thirty-nine per cent were in employment, compared with 7 per cent of crack cocaine users in treatment. Heroin and opioid users in treatment skew older, with an average age of 45, in tune with the 'greying' of heroin and opioid users in Ireland, which has been the case for some time.
In 2024, there were more people treated for problem drug use in Ireland than ever before,
according to the Health Research Board
. Cocaine was the most common drug used by those in treatment, up 7 per cent from 2023. Since 2017, there has been a 426 per cent increase in women receiving cocaine treatment. Figures for 2023 for people contacting the
Health Service Executive
's drug and alcohol helpline also showed record numbers. Twenty-one per cent of calls were related to cocaine. In 2009, cocaine was mentioned by 2 per cent of callers. This is a huge jump.
For all the progress made around alcohol, there is a major youth public-health issue regarding cocaine use. This is not being addressed in anything approaching something effective. It demands and requires a non-judgmental public-health response, and education and awareness, all of which appears to be lacking relative to the level of consumption in Ireland.
We are in a situation where there are signs that one public-health issue – excessive alcohol consumption – is being at least partly replaced by another. If we have the stats, where's the action?