A new report has revealed that the number of people in treatment for alcohol abuse in Ireland has surged, with the numbers treated for cocaine and alcohol use more than doubling in recent years.
The numbers seeking treatment for alcohol abuse, who also report cocaine as an additional drug, have doubled since 2017, from 607 to 1,310 last year. The majority of cases involve people in their twenties and early thirties, the alarming report from the Health Research Board (HRB) details.
Meanwhile, last year, 8,163 people were treated for problem drinking, which is the highest number since 2012, when there were 8,609 people in treatment. It represents an increase of 10 per cent on 2022 figures, and is the highest annual total in over a decade.
The report out today details how, of this number, one in four people also reported having a problem with other drugs aside from alcohol, turning to drugs including cocaine, cannabis, opioids, and benzodiazepines.
Cocaine remains the most common additional drug reported with 1,310 cases mixing alcohol and cocaine in 2023 compared to 607 in 2017.
Among cases of people seeking treatment for alcohol use for the first time, three in five were classified as alcohol dependent, while the proportion of all cases that were classed as alcohol dependent decreased from 72 per cent in 2017, to 61 per cent in 2023.
The proportion of all cases whose alcohol use was classified as hazardous, meanwhile, increased from 10 per cent in 2017, to 13 per cent in 2023. Meanwhile, the proportion of all cases whose alcohol use was classified as harmful also increased from 16 per cent in 2017, to 22 per cent in 2023.
The report details how many people in treatment reported drinking more in a typical day than is outlined for a week based on HSE low risk guidelines.
Females were drinking on average more than two bottles of wine in a typical drinking session (15 standard drinks), while males were drinking on average nine pints of beer or over a half litre of spirits in a typical drinking session (18 standard drinks).
Overall, in 2023, the median age of cases treated for alcohol addiction was 43 years – with the median age of females (44 years) was higher than that for males (42 years). Six in ten cases were male.
In addition, almost half of cases were recorded as unemployed, whilst one third reported being in paid employment.
Speaking about the findings, HRB Chief Executive Dr Mairéad O’Driscoll said:
“Alcohol continues to be the drug that most people seek treatment for. By monitoring demand for treatment and which drugs people mix with alcohol we can identify changes in behaviour over time. This helps to inform policy and provision of treatment in line with people’s needs.”
Dr Suzi Lyons, Senior Researcher at the HRB, said:
“This report highlights an increase in the number of alcohol treatment cases reported compared to 2022 with cases at the highest level in over a decade. We are seeing a rise in the proportion of cases whose alcohol use was classified as hazardous or harmful along with a decrease in the proportion classified as dependent. This is positive as it means that people are accessing treatment services before they become dependent. The earlier people present for treatment the more successful outcomes are likely to be.”
According to Dr Suzi Lyons, “The increase in the proportion of cases using other drugs with alcohol is a concern. Mixing drugs complicates treatment and can impede recovery.”
The most common drugs used together were alcohol plus cocaine, followed by alcohol plus cannabis; and thirdly, alcohol plus cocaine and cannabis.
The type of additional problem drugs used with alcohol varied by age. For young cases aged 19 years or under, it was cannabis, while among those aged 20–34 years, it was cocaine. Among those aged 35 years or over, it was also cannabis.
Last month, the HRB reported the highest figures in drug treatment to date with a continued increase in cocaine use evident, especially among females.
In 2023, 13,104 cases were treated for problem drug use – the highest annual number recorded and an increase of more than one thousand cases compared to 2022. Almost four-in-ten cases had never been treated before.
Cocaine was the most common drug reported, accounting for one-in-three cases followed by opioids (mainly heroin), cannabis and benzodiazepines.