Over half of Irish students say drug use negatively impacts their lives, survey finds

A new survey reveals that over half of Irish college students who use drugs report negative impacts on their lives, prompting new harm-reduction initiatives

The Drug Use in Higher Education survey found over half of its participants reported using illicit substances. 

Over half of students who have taken drugs have reported that their habit is "having a negative impact" on their lives, according to recent findings.

The Drug Use in Higher Education Survey found that over half of its participants reported using illicit substances.

It also found that over half of current drug users were at moderate or substantial risk of harm arising from their drug use.

Over 11,500 students across 21 higher education institutions in Ireland took part in the survey, which is part of the eSHIELD project based in UCC.

The project, which is funded by the Department of Health, aims to reduce drug-related harms among higher-level students through the rollout of the MyUSE tool as well as a framework for responding to the use of illicit substances within higher education.

MyUSE is a prevention, education, and behavioural change intervention digital tool that aims to "increase mindful decision-making with respect to drug use, cultivate harm-reduction practices, and promote alternatives to drug-use activities."

The framework will then be implemented in conjunction with local and regional Drug and Alcohol Task Forces.

It will provide a plan to address the use of illicit substances and related harms by developing institution-specific policies, implementing a plan, assigning a senior officer, and seeking student engagement.

Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor said: "Investing in prevention initiatives can significantly reduce the demand for drug treatment services, criminal justice system involvement, and the negative impacts of drug use on individuals, families, and communities."

"I am committed to supporting continued implementation of projects such as the E-Sheild app and look forward to hearing more about their positive impact," she added. 

eSHIELD Principal Investigator and Head of the Student Health Department at UCC, Dr. Michael Byrne, said: “The framework contains a series of 16 actions that higher education institutions in Ireland can implement to reduce the harms experienced through drug use."

"From core actions such as developing a drugs-and-alcohol policy for their institution, right through to ensuring that there is access to addiction and recovery services on campus, implementing this framework ensures an effective multi-component approach to harm reduction in the higher education sector in Ireland," he added.