#Drugs Crisis

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#Drugs Crisis

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>The Oireachtas committee on drugs use also heard from Mariam Jashi, a former deputy health minister of Georgia, on Thursday. Picture: Oireachtas.ie </p>

politics

Drug abuse: Focus on health is better than punishment, Oireachtas committee hears

Senior police officer from Portugal among those who addressed the Oireachtas committee on drugs use

<p>The cannabis smoker was facing sentencing for his seventh conviction for drugs. File picture: Getty</p>

court and crime

Drug user told probation officer he was down from four to three joints a day, Cork court told

<p>In 2020, just 20 units of products containing botulinum toxin, or botox, were seized, but last year this rose to 2,725. File picture</p>

news

Illegal medicine imports triple as fake Ozempic-style drugs flood Irish market

Criminal Courts of Justice

court and crime

Judge imposes 'significant deterrent' as €42m cocaine smugglers jailed

Groups criticise draft strategy for not referring to link between drug use and poverty, inequality

news

Groups criticise draft strategy for not referring to link between drug use and poverty, inequality

Almost 200 heroin addicts being treated with alternative to methadone

munster

Almost 200 heroin addicts being treated with alternative to methadone

Nightclub lights and silhouette of a party crowd

HSE warns of lethal 'pink powder' ahead of St Patrick’s Day weekend

Each bag or dose of pink powder 'is multiple times the average adult dose' with substances from MDMA to benzocaine to ketamine in a batch

Fri, 13 Mar, 2026

Irish DJ warns of people collapsing in front of her booth after taking 'pink stuff'

Irish DJ warns of people collapsing in front of her booth after taking 'pink stuff'

Shauna Dee, a DJ and youth worker, described performing at a gig at Dublin’s 3Arena recently and noticing several young people become distressed on the dancefloor in front of her

Thu, 12 Mar, 2026

'10 months ago I started a new drug treatment medication... I now have a normal life'

'10 months ago I started a new drug treatment medication... I now have a normal life'

A new injectable addiction treatment is helping heroin users rebuild their lives, but access remains limited outside major cities

Wed, 11 Mar, 2026

Cannabis ready to roll

Recreational drugs can more than double risk of stroke, study suggests

Rise in strokes observed in connection with some drugs was not confined to older people

Mon, 09 Mar, 2026

Revenue spent €2.7m destroying seized nitrous oxide, alcohol, and tobacco

Revenue spent €2.7m destroying seized nitrous oxide, alcohol, and tobacco

Cannabis, cocaine and heroin were among the contraband seizures last year, which also included weapons and ammunition, pepper spray, laughing gas, and vapes

Sun, 08 Mar, 2026

Drug dealer sells drugs for cash

'Ireland should have wide range of options on drug possession'

Oireachtas Committee on Drugs Use heard from EU Drugs Agency principal scientist Brendan Hughes

Thu, 05 Mar, 2026

A small pile of white powder on a dark surface

Man faces drug-dealing charge after gardaí seize cocaine in Bantry

The accused was released on bail subject to conditions

Wed, 04 Mar, 2026

Cannabis ready to roll

'You should try it': Cork man caught with cannabis suggested gardaí cook with it, court told

Judge Boyle imposed a sentence of three years and four months with the final six months suspended

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026

Speeding motorcyclist puts garda in hospital during patrol

Speeding motorcyclist puts garda in hospital during patrol

Gardaí were on a patrol to disrupt the sale and supply of controlled drugs when they saw the man driving a Surron-type electric motorbike

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026

Man Buying Drugs On The Street

Drug possession health diversion scheme is 'not yet finalised'

A lack of clarity still surrounds the health diversion scheme, specifically what will happen if a person is caught a second time

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

Blue lights on the roof of a Garda Siochana Irish police car

Automatic checking system alert about car's tax led to garda's discovery of €35k of cocaine

Garda Patricia Hanley said she got a notification from Garda authorities via Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) to stop the vehicle

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

Prisoner

Former jockey who had €400-a-day cocaine habit jailed over €553,000 drugs seizures

James O’Neill was trying to pay off a €100,000 drugs debt by transporting drugs in the hope of reducing it by €1,000 each time

Tue, 24 Feb, 2026

Cannabis ready to roll

'Tough young fella' admits to dealing drugs in Cork town

Judge Sinéad Behan said: 'He flushed cannabis down the loo — that is pretty hardcore. And the evidence is that he was a person of significance in dealing in Kinsale.'

Mon, 23 Feb, 2026

Man jailed after cannabis and €64k in cash wrapped in clingfilm found in his bedroom in Cork

Man jailed after cannabis and €64k in cash wrapped in clingfilm found in his bedroom in Cork

He was sentenced for having cannabis for sale or supply and money-laundering

Fri, 20 Feb, 2026

(FILES) This file picture taken on Octob

'I'm no Pablo Escobar,' says Cork farmer described as 'no Robin Hood either' for growing cannabis

Before the Judge could characterise the defendant, they had to look into the issue of the accused man also having a revolver and an air rifle discovered during the garda investigation

Tue, 17 Feb, 2026

'It won’t happen overnight': Cork drug injection centre to take up to five years to deliver

'It won’t happen overnight': Cork drug injection centre to take up to five years to deliver

Merchants Quay Ireland called on Government to commit to supervised injection in the city, while Cork TD says failure to act 'will cost lives'

Tue, 17 Feb, 2026

Man who used 'honesty box system' to deal drugs in West Cork gets suspended sentence

Man who used 'honesty box system' to deal drugs in West Cork gets suspended sentence

The court heard the defendant 'had been selling since October 2020 during the second covid lockdown'

Sat, 14 Feb, 2026

Woman turns her life around since dealing drugs from her flat in West Cork town

Woman turns her life around since dealing drugs from her flat in West Cork town

Just before her arrest, the accused had already taken steps to undertake a residential treatment for her own drug addiction problem

Fri, 13 Feb, 2026

Man put in fear after Cobh man demanded payment for son's drug debt, court told

Man put in fear after Cobh man demanded payment for son's drug debt, court told

The defendant's barrister told the court: 'At the time of the offence he would have been in a manic state as a result of the abuse of alcohol and drugs'

Thu, 12 Feb, 2026

No timeline for disposal of drugs ship MV Matthew that has cost State €13.6m

No timeline for disposal of drugs ship MV Matthew that has cost State €13.6m

The MV Matthew, seized with €157m worth of cocaine off Cork in 2023, has now cost the State over €13.6m and remains in harbour

Thu, 12 Feb, 2026

Four men confirm guilty pleas in €31m West Cork drug-smuggling case

Four men confirm guilty pleas in €31m West Cork drug-smuggling case

They were further remanded in custody for sentencing in May

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Draft drugs strategy prioritises health over enforcement — but at what cost?

Draft drugs strategy prioritises health over enforcement — but at what cost?

A draft drugs strategy signals a health-led shift, but raises questions about policing, poverty, and community voices

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Local gardaí in Carlow seize 12kg of heroin worth an estimated €1.7m

Local gardaí in Carlow seize 12kg of heroin worth an estimated €1.7m

One woman arrested and house searched in follow-up after gardaí stopped and searched a car in the town and recovered suspected heroin and cannabis

Mon, 09 Feb, 2026

Limerick outreach project for women among four granted funding

Limerick outreach project for women among four granted funding

Ana Liffey Midwest delivers a range of low-threshold harm reduction services across the region, including outreach through its mobile health unit.

Mon, 02 Feb, 2026

'I don’t know anything about it,' says truck driver charged with €2.1m drug seizure in Cork

'I don’t know anything about it,' says truck driver charged with €2.1m drug seizure in Cork

It is alleged that there was a seizure of 93 packages of herbal cannabis with a weight of 107kgs

Sat, 31 Jan, 2026

'You can’t be naïve to think it is still just cocaine or ecstasy like it was before. It’s a whole new ballgame'

'You can’t be naïve to think it is still just cocaine or ecstasy like it was before. It’s a whole new ballgame'

Cork senator Nicole Ryan has renewed her warning about the availability of synthetic drugs ahead of the 10th anniversary of her brother's death

Fri, 30 Jan, 2026

Teenager at mental health office

Number of teenagers with mental health issues attending drug addiction services 'through the roof'

Dual diagnosis and ADHD comprise large cohort of adolescent treatment cases, Dáil committee told

Fri, 30 Jan, 2026

FILE PHOTO Reporting on Newstalk claims that e-scooters are being used nationwide to courier drugs around cities END

Dublin gardaí seize scooters and bikes in drug dealing crackdown

Haul is the result of an ongoing investigation by a crime unit attached to the Dublin North Central Division

Tue, 27 Jan, 2026

Brian Grendon FILE CCJ3

Man arrested on return to country charged by gardaí with directing drug crime gang

Due to the nature of the charge, he could not apply for bail in the District Court, as the offence category requires a High Court decision

Mon, 26 Jan, 2026

Cannabis plants worth over €2m seized in Westmeath garda operation

Cannabis plants worth over €2m seized in Westmeath garda operation

Gardaí uncovered two sophisticated cannabis growhouses during warrant-backed searches linked to a national anti-drugs operation

Fri, 02 Jan, 2026

Cyber crime concept.

Gardaí want charges brought against ‘The Family’ drug gang

An Garda Síochána has sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions seeking charges against the leaders of Ireland’s number one drug-trafficking network

Mon, 22 Dec, 2025

Cocaine 'pouring' into Ireland to supply the Christmas market, gardaí say

Cocaine 'pouring' into Ireland to supply the Christmas market, gardaí say

Gardaí and customs seized 58kg of the drug during searches in Kildare and Wexford this week

Fri, 19 Dec, 2025

Three arrested in connection with €4m cocaine seizure in Kildare and Wexford

Three arrested in connection with €4m cocaine seizure in Kildare and Wexford

The searches resulted in the seizure of a total of 58kg of suspected cocaine

Thu, 18 Dec, 2025

Court adjourns sentencing of man who used 'honesty box system' to deal drugs in West Cork

Court adjourns sentencing of man who used 'honesty box system' to deal drugs in West Cork

The judge is waiting on a probation report for the defendant

Mon, 15 Dec, 2025

Revealed: 27% more drug-driving offences in first nine months of 2025 than all of last year

Revealed: 27% more drug-driving offences in first nine months of 2025 than all of last year

New data reveals that 28,206 people have appeared in courts on drink- or drug-driving charges in five years

Mon, 15 Dec, 2025

Former Defence Forces officers say Ireland is under threat and may be at the mercy of drones

Former Defence Forces officers say Ireland is under threat and may be at the mercy of drones

Ireland has been left scrambling to catch up amid the heated geopolitical situation and the emergence of 'hybrid warfare'

Sat, 13 Dec, 2025

Drugs Illustration

Ecstasy alert: HSE warns drug users about high-dose MDMA

One pill doesn’t mean one dose: HSE advises of the risk from ecstasy pills containing as much as 300mg of MDMA — 'the highest [dosage] we've ever seen in Ireland'

Fri, 12 Dec, 2025

Edenderry to hold funeral today of firebomb attack victim four-year-old Tadgh Farrell

Edenderry to hold funeral today of firebomb attack victim four-year-old Tadgh Farrell

It is understood that teenagers are suspected of carrying out the attack, with at least one being a minor

Fri, 12 Dec, 2025

Judge says drug traffickers underestimated alertness of West Cork community

Judge says drug traffickers underestimated alertness of West Cork community

Sentencing the seven men to a total of 70 years, Judge Karen O’Connor remarked that they had underestimated 'the diligence, neighbourliness, and alertness of people in coastal communities'

Fri, 12 Dec, 2025

Seven men who conspired to smuggle €59m of cocaine into West Cork get a combined 70 years

Seven men who conspired to smuggle €59m of cocaine into West Cork get a combined 70 years

All sentences, ranging from eight years to 11 years, were backdated to when the men entered custody on March 14, 2024

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025

State body warns of 'the rising threat' of synthetic opioids in Ireland

State body warns of 'the rising threat' of synthetic opioids in Ireland

Some of the 10 new illicit drugs identified by Forensic Science Ireland last year include protonitazene, a synthetic opioid 'significantly more potent than heroin'

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025

Drugs seizure on cargo ship

Drugs ship MV Matthew more likely to be scrapped than sold after costing the State €20m, PAC told

Revenue warns the MV Matthew could cost the State over €20m as regulatory issues stall its sale or scrapping

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025

Boy in hoodie trespassing on private residential property

Disrupting gang recruiters reduces the 'malign influence' they have over children, say Irish researchers

Eoin O’Meara-Daly, assistant director of Research Evidence into Policy, Programmes and Practice, stressed the role of poverty and marginalisation in driving gang recruitment

Wed, 10 Dec, 2025

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visit to Ireland

Government pledges €300m for defence and anti-drone technology after Zelenskyy visit

Government ramps up defence spending, including €15m for anti-drone systems, after drones were detected near Zelenskyy’s flight

Tue, 09 Dec, 2025