31-07-2025
Alcohol and drug treatment cases jump almost 80% since 2017
Alcohol treatment cases have risen by almost 20% in the last seven years, official figures show.
The number of alcohol cases presenting with additional problem drugs has increased even further, driven by a three-fold jump in cocaine.
Health experts are very concerned at the combined use of alcohol and cocaine, saying the mixture of substances 'increases toxicity' to major organs and fuels violent behaviour and suicidal thoughts.
Cocaine replaced cannabis in 2022 as the most common additional drug.
The Health Research Board's (HRB) Alcohol Treatment Demand 2024 report reveals:
8,745 cases of alcohol treatment in 2024, compared to 7,350 in 2017 — up 19%;
6,166 of these cases involved just alcohol last year, compared to 5,898 — up 5%;
2,579 cases involved alcohol and an additional drug, compared to 1,452 in 2017 — a 78% increase;
Of those taking additional drugs, the number taking cocaine has risen threefold, from 607 cases to 1,823 cases;
In 10% of polydrug cases, people found it difficult to determine which was their main problem drug.
'The latest HRB report shows that alcohol remains the drug that most people seek treatment for in Ireland, and that numbers continue to rise,' the board's chief executive, Mairéad O'Driscoll, said.
Suzi Lyons, a senior researcher at the board, said: 'The sustained rise in cases using cocaine with alcohol is a real concern. Mixing substances complicates treatment, can hinder recovery, and can also be dangerous.
'Alcohol and cocaine mixed together increases toxicity to major organs, leading to increased risk of stroke, heart attack, liver damage, violent behaviour, suicidal thoughts, sudden death, and many other negative consequences.'
Secondary drug
Polydrug use has risen from 19.8% in 2017 to 29.5% in 2024.
While the proportion of cases citing cannabis as a secondary drug dropped over the period, the absolute number of cases rose by 44%, from 607 to 1,823.
The typical age people first started drinking was 16, ranging from 12 to 22.
The study found changes in the three categories of drinkers between 2017 and 2024, with a significant drop in those assessed as 'dependent' — from 72% to 56%.
This resulted in a rise in those assessed as 'hazardous' drinkers, from 10% to 13%, and those labelled as 'harmful' drinkers, going from 16% to 26%.
The report said almost 60% of cases had children, and that nearly two thirds of these had children under the age of 17.
Sheila Gilheany, of Alcohol Action Ireland, said: 'About 600,000 people in Ireland show evidence of an alcohol use disorder (AUD), with 90,000 of those having a severe AUD problem.
"However, the data released today shows there were only 8,745 cases — 44% of which were new cases — gaining access to alcohol treatment services last year, which is staggeringly low.'
The minister of state for the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, said €1m was being spent in 2025, rising to €1.8m in 2026, on expanding alcohol treatment services — including two new community services.
