Issue 22 Summer 2007 drugnetIRelAND Newsletter of the Alcohol and Drug Research Unit The Report of the Working New Minister of State Group on Drugs Rehabilitation was launched by Noel Ahern, for drugs strategy outgoing Minister of State for On 20 June the Taoiseach appointed Pat Carey, Fianna Fáil TD the National Drugs Strategy, for Dublin North West, as Minister of State at the Department of on 7 June 2007. Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs with special responsibility for drugs strategy and community affairs. Mr Carey’s portfolio, unlike that of his predecessor Noel Ahern TD, will not include The report outlines a responsibility for housing and urban renewal. Mr Carey has served as comprehensive policy for drugs vice-chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs rehabilitation and represents and as a member of Oireachtas committees on European affairs ‘the full integration of and on EU legislation. He has also chaired the British–Irish Inter- rehabilitation as the fifth pillar Parliamentary Body. of the National Drugs Strategy’. This report will be covered Draft Programme for Government in the next issue of The draft programme for government agreed by the incoming coalition on 12 June addresses the issues of problem alcohol use and illicit drugs under the headings ‘Health’, ‘Local & National Sports Facilities’ and Drugnet Ireland. ‘Justice’. Drugs: Most of the actions relating to drug use are under the ‘Justice’ heading. The new Government will implement the recommendations of the working group on drugs rehabilitation, including providing extra detox beds and dedicated community employment places. Two cocaine-specific treatment centres > Civil society debates will be established and approved pilot cocaine projects will be supported. The Government will support drug controls the development of projects by local and regional drugs task forces and targeted Garda anti-drug-use programmes in schools and third-level institutions, and will continue to use the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund to assist in the development of youth facilities and services in disadvantaged areas. > HSE National Service Plan Actions aimed at reducing the supply of drugs include increasing Garda powers to allow random searches for drugs at particular places, times or events, expanding the Criminal Assets Bureau operational presence in each Garda division, and the mandatory registration of mobile phones. Measures to make prisons drug- > Attitudes towards free by prohibiting physical contact with prisoners and drug testing on arrival will be introduced. The Drug alcohol Court programme will be expanded and judges will have the option of sentencing certain offenders to mandatory drug treatment programmes in addition to prison terms. > Criminal Justice Act Under the ‘Local & National Sports Facilities’ heading, the level of ‘own funding’ required from applicants 2007 to the Sports Capital Programme will be reduced in areas of urban disadvantage, such as RAPID or local drugs task force areas. > Cocaine use in Alcohol: Under the ‘Health’ heading, the Government commits to implementing the recommendations Ireland of the working group on alcohol abuse. Actions relating to young people include raising awareness of the damage caused by binge drinking, supporting the establishment of alcohol-free youth cafés, and the doubling of penalties for all offences relating to providing alcohol to underage persons. Other actions > ROSIE Findings 3 include developing a code of practice for off-licences, using the tax system to promote low-alcohol and alcohol-free products, and providing early intervention programmes in all social, health and justice services. > Homeless Agency Provision is made under the ‘Justice’ heading for an increase in penalties under the Public Order Act, action plan especially for alcohol-related disorder. Under ‘Sports Facilities’, the Government will discuss the phasing out of sponsorship of sporting events by the alcohol industry. > Families coping with (Brian Galvin) heroin use The full text of the Draft Programme is on the Fianna Fáil website at www.fiannafail.ie. > Update on drug- related deaths Improving people’s health through research and information drugnetIRelAND contents New data on drug use in Ireland 2 New data on drug use in Ireland On 22 March 2007 the National Advisory proportion of young adults (15–34 years) 3 Civil society joins international Committee on Drugs (NACD) in Ireland reported that they had used alcohol with debate on drug controls and the Drugs and Alcohol Information and tobacco than their older counterparts (35–64 4 First international conference Research Unit of the Department of Health, years), 28% compared to 21%. on drug policy Social Services and Public Safety in Northern 5 President opens RADE’s cultural Ireland published the fifth and sixth bulletins As expected, the results of the polydrug showcase of results from the 2002/2003 all-Ireland use survey reflect drug use in recreational 5 HSE outlines plans for drug- general population drug prevalence survey.1 situations rather than problematic drug use related services in 2007 Bulletin 5 focuses on polydrug use in the in socially deprived areas or among treated 8 Special Eurobarometer: adult population (15–64 years) and Bulletin 6 problem drug users. Attitudes towards alcohol focuses on sedative, tranquilliser and anti- For the purpose of Bulletin 6, sedatives, 9 Our love affair with alcohol depressant use in the adult population. tranquillisers and anti-depressants were 9 Alcohol consumption in an Irish For the purpose of Bulletin 5, polydrug grouped as a collective and were not university use is defined as use of two or more drugs presented by their individual drug families. 10 Criminal Justice Act 2007 in the last month. Polydrug use involves The main measures of use were lifetime (ever 11 Task force adopts new strategic the concurrent use of two or more of the used), use in the last year (recent use) and approach following substances: alcohol, tobacco, use in the last month (current use). 12 An overview of cocaine use any illegal drug or any other legal drugs in Ireland (sedatives, tranquillisers or anti-depressants). The key findings were: 13 Evaluation of projects to treat The findings for Ireland are presented in this cocaine users article. ■ One in five (22%) respondents 14 Crack cocaine workshop reported that they had taken sedatives, Just under one-fifth (19%) of the 4,918 tranquillisers or anti-depressants during 15 ROSIE Findings 3: summary of survey respondents reported that they had their lifetime. Of these, 95% said that the abstinence treatment outcomes not used any substance in the last month. drug was prescribed. 16 2007 National Drug Treatment Among those who had used drugs in the Conference (UK) ■ Females reported higher prevalence rates last month, the most common substance than males for all three time measures. 17 Report proposes a new combinations were: approach to working with drug ■ The average age for first use of sedatives, users 1. 24% had used alcohol and tobacco tranquillisers or anti-depressants was 28 18 A key to the door – Homeless years for males and 30 years for females. Agency Partnership action plan 2. 1.9% had used alcohol, tobacco and at The average age of first use by those in 2007–2010 least one illegal drug the 15–34-year age group was 22 years, 19 Young people’s views on and by those in the 35–64-year age group recreational facilities in East 3. 1.4% had used alcohol and sedatives, 37 years; this may indicate two different Cork tranquillisers or anti-depressants patterns among the user population. 20 Families coping with heroin use 4. 1% had used alcohol, tobacco and ■ Ten per cent of respondents had used 22 CityWide seeks new deal on sedatives, tranquillisers or anti-depressants drugs sedatives, tranquillisers or anti-depressants in the last month and, of these, 84% had 23 Dóchas Centre: process taken them on a daily basis. evaluation and treatment 5. 0.6% had used alcohol and at least one outcome study illegal drug ■ Sedative, tranquilliser or anti-depressant 24 Identifying new drugs and new use was more likely among those who drug trends with the help of 6. 0.5% had used tobacco and sedatives, were aged over 35 years, or long-term drug helplines tranquillisers or anti-depressants unemployed, or had left school at primary 25 Suboxone licensed in Europe level. 7. 0.2% had used tobacco and at least one 25 Update on direct drug-related illegal drug (Jean Long and Siobhan Reynolds) deaths in Ireland 27 National Registry of Deliberate 8. 0.2% had used alcohol, tobacco, at 1. National Advisory Committee on Drugs Self Harm – annual report 2005 least one illegal drug, and sedatives, and Drug and Alcohol Information and 28 Find out who’s doing what in tranquillisers or anti-depressants Research Unit (2007) Drug use in Ireland alcohol and drug research and Northern Ireland. 2002/2003 drug 28 Ana Liffey Strategic Plan 9. 0.1% had used tobacco, at least one illegal prevalence survey: polydrug use results. 2007-2011 drug, and sedatives, tranquillisers or anti- Bulletin 5; and Drug use in Ireland and 29 In brief depressants Northern Ireland. 2002/2003 drug 30 Drugs in focus – policy briefing prevalence survey: sedatives, tranquillisers The combination of alcohol, tobacco and any 30 From Drugnet Europe or anti-depressants. Bulletin 6. Dublin: illegal drug was more commonly reported by National Advisory Committee on Drugs. 32 Recent publications men (2.7%) than by women (2.1%). A higher 35 Upcoming