The number of women - especially young women - who are seeking treatment for cocaine addiction is rising dramatically.
Figures provided by the HSE show that there was a 388% increase among females who sought drug treatment for cocaine between 2017 and 2023.
During that period, the numbers looking for help rose from 284 cases up to 1,387 cases.
The use of cocaine is no longer confined to Ireland's main cities. The drug is now prevalent across Ireland.
Gavin O'Callaghan speaks to experts, publicans and former cocaine users.
On the steps of the entrance to a popular pub, the manager steps out for a quick chat.
"It's definitely becoming a bigger problem. Ten years ago it wasn’t around, people didn’t have the money for it - it wasn’t seen as a thing," he said.
"It might have been 15 to 20 years ago when the economic boom was going on, but ten years ago it wasn’t the case.
"I don’t know how you stop it. And I will say this. It’s not just the young crowd any more. It can be any walk of life taking it. That’s the biggest surprise."
The man is talking about powder cocaine, but it isn’t just people in his town saying this.
"It's in your typical old man pub..."
Another publican, Joe Sheridan who runs Walsh’s bar in Dunmore in Co Galway, is well known for coming down strictly on anyone he thinks might be on drugs.
He told RTÉ’s This Week: "A decade ago in rural Ireland you had anecdotal evidence of partaking of drugs. But since Covid, we’ve seen a big upsurge in it from every demographic.
"This is not young fellas or young ladies, this is guys my own age who should have more sense, if I am being honest."
On a Saturday night in Kilkenny, the pubs are bustling, and the overwhelming consensus among revelers on the streets was that cocaine is becoming a more common sight.
"You see it everywhere you go, you see it in your local, in nightclubs and things like that. It’s become a really common thing it’s like getting sweets now," one man said.
One woman said: "It’s in your typical old man pub, it doesn’t have to be a nightclub anymore."
Another added: "It is too normalised. It’s like a pint at this stage. I can walk in there and walk up to the toilet and I’ll see it."
Use among women increasing
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These perceptions are backed up by statistics.
The HSE said it is aware of an increase in presentations to addiction services linked to cocaine and that is concerned about a rise in use - particularly among young women.
In 2017, 284 women sought treatment for cocaine addiction. In 2023 that figure was 1,387. This statistic is for both powder and crack cocaine.
In recent years, the Department of Health allocated additional funding to a number of initiatives aimed at this problem, including ones that have targeted specific populations such as women.
"Depressant drugs were always the drugs most used by women presenting for treatment," said Coolmine's Deputy Head of Services Anita Harris.
"Cocaine was a feature, but not as much up until very recently. Now it has surpassed all other drugs in our women’s residentials.
"You might ask why, and I don’t know the full reason why, but research shows that men, when they start using drugs will do it in the context of peer. So with their friends.
"Women start using drugs with partners. And that has been consistent in research across the years.
"What we are seeing now is that the women presenting, they are first-time ever presenters to treatment."
In 2023, cocaine (powder and crack) was the most common drug reported among people presenting for treatment. The amount of cases linked to it saw a 20.5% rise from 2022 to 2023 alone.
The amount of people who sought HSE support for powder cocaine addiction in 2023 was 197% higher than in 2017.
Statistics from Coolmine treatment centres showed that cocaine accounted for 32% of its total presentations in 2024, second just behind alcohol.
It has surpassed alcohol in the eastern region and the organisation says it is a major issue.
"It’s very normal to walk into any nightclub, pub, social setting, and see active cocaine use," Ms Harris said.
"We treated over 3,200 addictions to either alcohol or drugs [in 2024], and a third of all of those presentations were for cocaine use."
Health and financial consequences
Cocaine use tends to start out recreationally, but once it becomes a consistent fixture for someone it can take its toll on the heart, lungs, mental health and finances.
Those on it are at increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and seizures.
Anxiety and panic attacks are also common, even after the use has stopped, according to the HSE.
Erma Barlow is an addiction counsellor based in Clonmel in Co Tipperary.
"Their mood is up and down [those who use cocaine], they are erratic, they’re unstable. And they can get psychosis from overuse of cocaine," she said.
"The knock-on effects then with peoples’ working lives is performance and absenteeism.
"At times I would hear of people getting into big debt and maybe going to their manager looking for an advance in wages or even loans."
"Debt can be a common theme," Ms Harris said.
"A lot of cocaine can be bought on credit so you don’t have to pay until the end of the month.
"Like buying a good on a credit card - however the difference with cocaine is you’re working with drug dealers so they will get their money, usually a lot of it through intimidation."
'My life was unmanageable'
One man, Niall, gave up the drug a year ago and sought help with Coolmine.
"It just started off as a social thing at the weekend. But it gradually crept in and became an everyday occurrence," he said.
"I ended up spending about €500 maybe for the weekends, basically all my wages went on it.
"My life was unmanageable. I fell out with family, I got in trouble with the guards. It came to ahead and I decided to go into treatment and stop taking drink and drugs."
For Niall and many others who used the drug, alcohol can be tied to it.
"I would get to a certain stage of maybe three or four pints and it would just take somebody to say 'we’ll get a bag'.
"I think there’s a level there that people cross over and again it’s just so accessible. You might be in the pub and have a gamble on a horse, win, and say ‘let’s get a bag’. The drinking part goes hand in hand with it.
"It gives you energy. You feel invincible. But a lot of it has to do with social anxiety as well. You feel more confident. Towards the end though you’re not really getting anything out of it - only heartache," Niall said.
Social anxiety was also something Ms Barlow mentioned.
"It is a big thing in general. I see that a lot. And it’s how someone can get addicted because they might not want to take the cocaine for the other benefits but it will definitely give them a fake confidence."
Education
Tim Barry is the Chairman of Rathdowney-Errill GAA in Co Laois and in recent years has been trying to tackle cocaine use in sporting social circles.
Three years ago, his motion to make it mandatory for players to engage in drug, gambling and anti-doping awareness was passed by congress with 97% voting in favour of it.
"I hope that the powers that be make a better effort to try and educate young people of the dangers that they’re walking into," he said.
"Not alone on the dangers of the drug, but the dangers they’re walking into dealing with the people that they will have to deal with."
He added that he’d like to see more action against "small guys that are doing big harm in rural areas".
That’s not the only change those trying to address the problem want to see.
Ms Harris said she wants to see more workplaces run educational programmes.
"Everybody is using cocaine. It’s not to say only one group of people in Ireland using cocaine," she said.
"There was a Laya survey and it showed about 14% [are struggling with substance abuse], and these were people in employment. So when we look around there’s a good chance that there’s one to two to three people in your office right now that use cocaine.
"Do they know where to go if that becomes problematic? Is there anything in the workplace that directs them?"
Ms Harris also said she would like to see more regulation in pubs and nightclubs and more drug testing on roadsides.
"The guards, I really believe, have a huge role in terms of the drug testing that came in a number of years ago.
"But we don’t really see it enforced.
"I don’t think it would make any difference to people where cocaine has become an addiction.
"But who it will make a huge difference to is the recreational drug users. If there’s a possibility of checkpoints with drug testing happening the same way as Bank Holidays [for drink driving].
"When people know the guards are out in force with drink driving people will tend not to drink drive. People will tend to monitor their own alcohol consumption the night before, so I do think the guards [can play a big part] in terms of recreational drug users. There is a lot that can be done."
