Huge increase in cocaine use, says report

COCAINE use in the eastern region has more than doubled between 1998 and 2002, new figures show.

Treatment for cocaine grew faster than for any other drug in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow, a report to be published today says.

The study reports that 1,481 people received help for cocaine use in 2002, compared to 461 in 1998, a rise of 220%.

This included:

* A 30% increase in the number reporting it as their main problem drug, from 56 to 73

* A 248% increase in those reporting it as a secondary problem drug, from 405 to 1,408.

The report, published by the Health Research Board (HRB), found the total number of people treated for problem drug use grew from 5,070 in 1998 to 6,248 in 2002, a rise of 23%.

Opiates - mainly heroin - accounted for 95% of all treated cases in 2002. The number of opiate cases grew by 27%, from 4,652 in 1998 to 5,921 in 2002.

The overall rise in treatment cases in the Health Service Executive Eastern Region was due to a 40% increase in the number of people staying in, or returning to, treatment.

The report said the number of new cases actually fell by 30%, from 1,140 in 1998 to 790 in 2002.

“The decrease in new cases may be due to a combination of factors: a decrease in drug use, a change in the pattern of drug use that was not accommodated in the treatment services, or an inadequate number of treatment places to accommodate the needs of new problem drug users (because chronic drug users occupy the available treatment places),” said the report.

It said the third explanation was unlikely as waiting times for treatment had not increased significantly.

“The most likely explanation is a decrease in the number of new opiate users in the region,” it said.

Opiate use fell by 29% among new cases, with falls in all other drugs, except cocaine, of which there were 22 new cases in 2002, compared to 2003 in 1998.

Of secondary problem drugs, cocaine and alcohol were the only two drugs to record increases, with a 100% rise in cocaine.

Highlighting the problem of polydrug use, the report found a 1000% increase in the number of people with four problem drugs or more, including a 900% rise among new cases.

The study noted that three of the 13 local drug task forces areas reported an increase in drug use - Bray, Dun Laoghaire and Finglas - and that four reported a rise in heroin use (the same three and the south inner city).