Almost 10,000 people have sought information about cocaine following the launch of the Government's Cocaine Awareness Campaign earlier this month.
But it has emerged that the phone number widely advertised as part of the campaign is not a dedicated drug advice line, but a general HSE information line.
Drug groups have welcomed the success rate of the campaign but say it is a mistake to advertise a phone number that is not dedicated to drug advice.
In the two weeks and five days since the campaign was launched, over 8,000 people have logged onto www.drugs.ie looking for advice or information on the abuse of cocaine.
A further 1,200 people have sent text messages to the text number, 51900.
Both the website and the SMS number offer an opportunity to engage directly with a trained drugs counsellor. But just 45 people have called the 1850 24 1850 HSE line as advertised on the posters and in the television and radio advertisements.
Callers to this number reach a general information line, staffed by people who also field queries on other subjects like GP locations and medical card information.
Anti-drug campaigners are concerned about this and say it is unlikely to be of benefit to drug users looking for help.
The HSE says the campaign is having a good success rate. A spokesperson said that a campaign advisory group made up of a number of different stakeholders made the decision to use the Health Information Line as the point of contact and to direct people towards www.drugs.ie.
The Minister of State with responsibility for Drug Strategy, Pat Carey, says he shares the concerns of those working with drug users about the phone number being used.
He raised some concern about the approach being taken and was reassured by the HSE that it is making all information readily available to whomever seeks it.
But Mr Carey said he would have preferred if only one phone number had been made available from the outset.
Minister Carey said he was not directly involved in the decision. He said the HSE has responsibility for the campaign, but officials from his department were represented on the advisory group.
