'Significant decline' in problem opioid use among young Irish adults, research finds

Opioids, which include heroin, methadone and codeine, are addictive, sedating narcotic drugs, according to the Health Research Board. File picture: Getty

The level of problematic use of heroin and other opioids among young adults in Ireland has been declining in recent years, according to a new report by the Health Research Board (HRB).

Research carried out by scientists at University College Cork on behalf of the HRB found there has been “a significant decline” in problem opioid use by those aged 15-34 years between 2015 and 2019. However, it said the overall level of problematic use of opioids over the period had remained stable.

Opioids, which include heroin, methadone and codeine, are addictive, sedating narcotic drugs, according to the HRB. While some opioids have valid medical purposes, it said their misuse as “street drugs” can result in many health and social issues.

Combining data from clinics, family doctors, prisons and the Probation Service, researchers estimated there were 730 individuals aged 15-24 with problem opioid use in 2019. It represented a 46% decrease in the number of people with problem opioid use in the same age group in 2015 when the figure was estimated at 1,357.

The HRB report showed there was also a statistically significant decrease in the number of problematic opioid users aged 25-34 between 2015 and 2019 – down 31% to 4,650. In contrast, there was an 11% increase in the estimated number of problematic opioid users aged 35-64 over the same period – up almost 1,400 to 14,495.

Reasons

The lead author of the report, Michael Hanrahan of UCC's School of Public Health, said the decline in opioid use among young people was “a positive development”. 

Dr Hanrahan said the trend could be attributed to “the negative image of heroin among young people or the provision of prompt treatment that can break a cycle whereby heroin users introduce the drug to others or a combination of those factors”. 

He noted other studies had found that many young people in Dublin had very negative views of heroin while separate research found it was even viewed with disdain by those who admitted taking many different types of drugs.

However, Dr Hanrahan said the finding should also be viewed in light of other recent data which showed the use of stimulant-type drugs like cocaine and ecstasy had been increasing among younger age groups since 2014.

“It is possible that observed trends in opioid use among younger age groups in Ireland represent a shift to other accessible, cheaper drugs that are perceived to be less ‘risky’,” he added.

Breakdown of figures

The report estimates that there were 19,875 people aged 15-64 years who were problem opioid users in 2019 – a rate of seven per 1,000 population. Official figures show there were 12,312 known problem users at the time, but the report noted that many opioid users have no contact with any service providers.

It is estimated that there are just over 5,500 females with opioid addiction – approximately 27% of all problem users.

The report found Dublin had the highest concentration of opioid addicts across all age groups with a rate of 13 per 1,000 – over three times the prevalence of the rest of Ireland where the rate was four per 1,000 population.

It is estimated there were 1,543 problem users in Cork and Kerry in 2019, including 964 in Cork city. However, the problem opioid use rate in Cork city at 6.7 per 1,000 population is less than that found in the cities of Limerick and Waterford (both 8.7 per 1,000).