Facts About Drug Misuse in Ireland Health Promotion Unit Chapter 2 Facts About Drug Misuse in Ireland Health Promotion Unit Compiled by Dr Desmond Corrigan School of Pharmacy,Trinity College I ISBN 0 86387 040 6 First Published 1985 Second Edition 1987 Third Edition 1991 Revised Third Edition 1994 Fourth Edition 2003 Material from this publication may not be reproduced without written permission II Contents Chapter Title Page Preface The Facts about Drugs Misuse in Ireland 1 1 The Place of Drug Information in Drug Prevention Programmes 2 2 Drugs and Drug Related Problems 4 3 Drug Laws 19 4 Alcohol 25 5 Tobacco 30 6 Caffeine 34 7 Solvents 38 8 Cannabis 41 9 Amphetamines 47 10 MDMA (Ecstacy) 49 11 LSD 53 12 Magic Mushrooms 55 13 Sedatives and Minor Tranquillisers 57 14 Cocaine 61 15 Heroin and other opiates 64 16 Methadone 68 73 Bibliography Contents III IV Facts about Drug Misuse in Ireland Preface to the 4th Edition environment in which they find themselves are also key influences on drug use. It is now eight years since the last edition of this booklet and this new version is a substantial This briefing has been written so as to be a revision of that earlier material. Two new background resource for those such as teachers, chapters have been included; a separate one on healthcare and welfare professionals, community MDMA ('Ecstasy') and a totally new entry on and other voluntary groups who seek basic Methadone reflecting the increased importance of factual information about the effects of the these two drugs. Some chapters are merely chemicals we call drugs on the human body. It is updates of previous versions because there is a compilation of a vast amount of information little new data or information to be included, published in official reports, textbooks, research while for others e.g. on the Cannabis drugs, there journals and documents from various has been a substantial revision reflecting new individuals, groups and agencies. Normal scientific knowledge and data. academic practice and courtesy requires that I acknowledge the immense debt owed to many The aim, as always, has been to provide the non- different individuals and I am glad to be able to technical reader with jargon-free (well almost!) record my appreciation of the skill, dedication background information on legal, medical, social and efforts of all those who work has been drawn and historical facts about drugs used for non- upon to create this publication. A purely medical purposes in Ireland. The title was academic approach would be to cite each and deliberately phrased to indicate that the booklet every reference within the text but this would, I does not represent "the" facts about drug misuse believe, result in a text which would be less than but rather that it presents as much of the friendly for the non-academic, non-technical available information as possible. It is not reader. Therefore, in this new edition, I have encyclopaedic in nature because all of the included for the first time, a bibliography of the information on drug use in Ireland is not most important print and electronic sources of available. It has been pointed out previously, that information upon which this compilation is much drug use is illicit in nature and thus based. This in no way diminishes my feeling of hidden. The fact that the drug scene changes on indebtedness to my colleagues in the laboratory a regular but unpredictable basis also creates and non-laboratory sciences all over the world difficulty, as does the complexity of the whose research work and scholarship I have phenomena that underpin drug misuse by attempted to incorporate into this publication. human beings. This booklet is about just one aspect of problem drug use, namely the role of the drug, even though it is recognised that the role of the individual and of the social Preface 1 Chapter 1 - The Place of Drug Information in Drug Prevention Programmes The Place of Drug Information in Drug must also be pointed out that a number of use are identified and several approaches and Prevention Programmes surveys of drug users (e.g. the 1995 ESPAD study strategies for preventing use and misuse are and the 1997 Keogh Report) highlighted that a examined. Based on the evidence presented here, A significant proportion of the information in this worryingly large number of young Irish people a number of conclusions and recommendations briefing was compiled as part of training had very little knowledge of the consequences of are put forward. programmes for key drug education workers drug taking when they started to experiment. If such as 1st and 2nd level teachers, who are young people are to make informed responsible The main conclusion is that there is no single involved in Drug Prevention activities. choices about drugs through the school and Ôdrug problemÕ with one dramatic solution. Prevention efforts aimed at minimising community based programmes now available, Rather, what is called the drug problem is experimental drug use, or at reducing the then those choices must be based on a full comprised of varying degrees of involvement progression to regular use and thereby lowering knowledge of the consequences of decisions to with a variety of substances, arising from several the number of individuals who develop use drugs. The information of drug taking in influences many of which are unrelated to each problematic dependent patterns of drug use, are general and on the individual drugs included in other. For these reasons, the main a crucial part of society's response to the misuse this booklet can help provide that basic recommendation is that there is a need to target of drugs. knowledge, which can be included as part of, but and prevent use of the most dangerous not instead of a comprehensive prevention substances. School-based programmes are a key element in programme. Previous editions have been used as these prevention approaches and the a resource for pupils undertaking small projects The most serious drug problems involve opiates GovernmentÕs National Advisory Committee on on drugs and this may be a worthwhile approach and are largely associated with deprivation. Drugs (NACD) recently published a report on because the NACD report recognises that Addressing this problem requires a these programmes, the Executive Summary of children should be actively involved rather than comprehensive approach involving not only which is reproduced below by kind permission. merely passive recipients of information. The family and community factors but also broad Entitled "Drug Use Prevention. An Overview of report also highlights the need to include legal socio-political influences, especially educational Research" the report highlighted the fact that drugs since it is known that an exclusive focus on opportunities. Targeted initiatives to tackle the The Place of Drug Information in Drug Prevention Programmes many of the Irish school based programmes such illegal drugs has limited effectiveness. This social origins of these drugs problems should as the "Walk Tall" programme for primary schools important fact has been borne in mind in the involve inter-agency co-operation and have - and the "On My Own Two Feet" programme at preparation of this publication. community involvement. Particular attention second level were consistent with best practice in should be given to the structural planning of the area. The report cautions that having experts Drug Use Prevention - An Overview of inter-agency co-operation on a scale and intensity warn young people about the dangers of drug Research - Executive Summary that is commensurate with the gravity of the use is quite ineffective in preventing subsequent problem. There is also a need to continue with experimentation. Therefore merely providing This report summarises the main findings of supply reduction measures particularly as these copies of this booklet to young people will not research in Ireland and abroad relating to drug have an important influence on the perception of ug education. However, it use prevention. The main risk factors for drug what is acceptable. Furthermore, there is a need fective dr constitute ef Chapter 1 2 to include legal drugs as part of the policy since the indications are that this is quite ineffective in of schools and are holistic in nature, rather than experience has shown that an exclusive focus on preventing subsequent experimentation. simply indicating sanctions for drug use. illegal drugs has limited effectiveness. Instead there should be a continued investment The evidence reviewed in this report suggests There is a need to raise public awareness of the in approaches that emphasise personal and social that the mass media have until now, had a importance of deprivation as a predisposing development, stress social skills and enhance relatively limited role in prevention. It would factor for the most damaging forms of drug decision-making. In particular, school seem that there is very little value in drawing misuse. This will act as a prelude to widespread programmes should ensure that children are attention to the dangers of drug use in media acceptance of the necessity for the major actively involved rather than merely passive promotions since, they may only convince those resources that will be needed to deal with these recipients of information. It should be noted that people who are already disposed to believe the problems. In this context, there is a major need to many of the Irish school based programmes to message. Furthermore, they can create an help vulnerable families in order to prevent their address drug misuse have been consistent with impression that Ôsomething is happeningÕ in childrenÕs drug misuse. It is also essential that best practice in this regard. The developments in relation to prevention.