Ireland is the worst EU country for drug deaths, suffering four times the average fatality rate 

While heroin is long recognised as a deadly and highly addictive drug, health authorities are now warning about powerful synthetic opioids such as nitazene likely to flood in during the expected 'heroin drought'. Picture: iStock

Ireland topped the EU table for drug deaths with more than four times the average number of fatalities, according to a new report by the EU drugs agency.

The European Drug Report 2024 shows that Ireland had 322 drug-induced deaths in 2020 — 97 deaths per million people, compared to the EU average of 22.5.