The first study of its kind to examine problem drug use in Cork has found that there are over 850 opioid users in the city, with almost one third of them not availing of any treatment services.
The study, commissioned by HSE South West and Cork City Council, looked at the scale of problem drug use (PDU) in Cork city in 2022.
Substances associated with PDU include opioids such as heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, Z-drugs and gabapentinoids.
The study found that the majority of opioid users were male (74.5%), with almost two-thirds (61.7%) of users between the ages of 35 and 64 years of age.
The study noted an increase in the use of cocaine and amphetamines, in particular among young adults in recent years.
Almost 4% of young adults had used cocaine in 2019 to 2020, compared to 1.3% during 2014 to 2015 while almost 2% of young adults admitted using amphetamines in 2019 to 2020 compared to 0.4% in 2014 to 2015.
It also found that between 2018 and 2021 there was a total of 487 self-harm presentations related to PDU, with an average of 35 deaths each year due to problem drug use.
PDU can lead to increased criminal activity, drug-related litter, increased risk of infectious diseases passed on from shared syringes and needles, substance use disorders, overdoses and death, the study said.
The study was welcomed by those working in the area of addiction.
David Lane, of the Cork Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force & Southern Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force said "the HSE team work every day to support problematic drug users but to solve addiciton issues, we also need to have reliable research to guide us in planning in supports and services".
The research was undertaken by the School of Public Health at UCC, aided by colleagues in the Health Research Board and National Suicide Research Foundation.
Lead author Lauren Muttocomaroe, of UCC said: "To-date, studies on PDU in IReland have largely been conducted at a national level, or have concentrated on Dublin city. Our report is the first to assess the scale of PDU in an Irish city other than Dublin and provide a template for how future studies may be conducted in other Irish and European cities using available data sources."
Report co-study lead Dr Michael Byrne, of UCC said: "Our study shows that PDU is taking palce in Cork city, with a number of associated harms. Though Cork city has a variety of harm reduction services that deal with education, assessment, treatment and post-treatment support, the disconnect between problem drug users and these programmes may benefit from additional services."
"Ongoing research in this area will be crucial for effective service planning and to allow policymakers to evaluate the impact of strategies aimed at reducing drug-related harms," Dr Byrne added.
