Treatment for cocaine trebles in eight years

Within the overall surge of people seeking help for cocaine abuse, there has been an even greater rise in treatment for crack cocaine, which has seen an almost eight-fold jump. Picture: iStock

Treatment for cocaine has more than trebled in the last eight years — with the sharpest increase among females, new figures show.

Within the overall surge of people seeking help for cocaine abuse, there has been an even greater rise in treatment for crack cocaine, which has seen an almost eight-fold jump.

A Health Research Board (HRB) report found crack cocaine cases are in “almost every county” — but the bulk are in Dublin.

Half of crack cocaine cases involve females, compared to around one in five for cocaine powder.

The HRB 2024 Drug Treatment Demand report said that Cork, Limerick, and Tipperary had the highest cocaine treatment cases in 2024, after Dublin.

Tipperary, Limerick, and Cork

Cocaine cases in Tipperary have almost quadrupled between 2017 and 2024, while cases in Limerick trebled and cases in Cork more than doubled.

While the numbers are small, the report also found a significant rise in treatment for new psychoactive substances, in particular synthetic cannabinoids, and an increase in nitrous oxide — or ‘laughing gas’ cases — half of which involved children under the age of 17.

The report said there were 5,289 treatment cases where cocaine was the main problem drug in 2024, up 9% from 4,923 in 2023. It compares to 1,500 cases in 2017.

The HRB contends an expansion of treatment services is also a factor.

While new (first-time) cocaine cases rose by 178% among males between 2017 and 2024, it jumped by 320% among females.

The report said around half of new treatment cases now involve cocaine – but also highlighted a significant increase in the number of people returning for treatment in relation to cocaine, rising from 13% of all previously treated cases in 2017 to 36% in 2024.

Changing profile of users

The HRB said the 2024 figure is the highest number recorded to date and is “an indication of the changing profile of users and how prevalent cocaine use has become in society”.

While there has been a 216% rise in cocaine powder cases (1,253 in 2017 to 3,959 in 2024) the increase for crack cocaine has been 670% (173 cases to 1,329).

The report said the most common drugs used together were cocaine and alcohol and that in relation to new cases, alcohol was the most common additional drug in poly-drug situations (use of two or more substances).

In relation to cases involving people under the age of 17, cannabis was the problem drug in almost 80% of cases. Cannabis was also the most common problem drug for those aged 18-19.

The report said that just over half of all treatment cases — almost 7,000 — involved people with children.

It detailed a continuing reduction in heroin and other opioids in treatment.