Drug taking in Ireland has become more dangerous in recent years, both in a recreational and addictive sense, according to an addiction counsellor in Limerick city.
Mick Guerin said cannabis has become much stronger over the last number of decades and there is a "plethora of synthetic substances, particularly hallucinogenic and stimulants" that people might be exposed to at events like music festivals.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said cocaine use is endemic in Ireland and there is a generation of people who view the drug like alcohol.
It has become part of the cocktail of drugs that people experiment with in their teens, he added.
"Traditionally we would have seen people in their 20s presenting and telling us that they had experimented in their adolescent years with alcohol and cannabis," he said.
"But now they're coming in telling us that they have experimented with alcohol, cannabis and cocaine.
"When you have people presenting to services saying that they have used cocaine as young as 15, it is highly concerning."
Mr Guerin said people are also presenting with drug problems much earlier now.
He called for a robust education and prevention service in schools.
Reporting: Marc O'Driscoll
