Pubdate: Wed, 21 Nov 2001
Source: Irish Independent (Ireland)
Copyright: Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd
Contact:  http://www.independent.ie/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/213
Author: Brian Beary

IRELAND REGISTERS SIGNIFICANT DROP IN 'HARD' DRUG USERS

THE proportion of Irish people aged between 15-64 taking "hard" drugs 
such as heroin, cocaine and LSD over their lifetime has fallen 
significantly, according to a new report.

A European Union-wide study shows that Ireland and the UK, where such 
use dropped from 16pc in 1995 to 9pc in 1999, were the only EU 
countries to register a decrease in lifetime drug use.

But the injecting of heroin is increasing, and has led to a dramatic 
rise in the number of intravenous drug users testing positive for 
HIV. Up until 1996, the trend was for more heroin users to smoke the 
drug but, the report notes, more recently injecting has been on the 
increase.

The annual report from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and 
Drug Addiction reveals Ireland and Finland have the youngest clients 
entering drugs treatment programmes.

In addition, Ireland registered one of the highest increases in 
drug-related arrests over the last three years, up from 3,300 in 1996 
to 6,900 in 1999.

Drug users in prison continue to pose a major problem throughout the 
EU, with an estimated 180,000 to 600,000 users passing through the 
prisons every year. The Lisbon-based agency says about 45 million 
people in the EU have tried cannabis, and lifetime experience of 
cannabis among adults ranges from around 10pc in Finland to 20-25pc 
in Ireland, Denmark, Spain, France, the Netherlands and the UK.

Up to 4pc of EU adults have experimented with amphetamines and 
ecstasy, but this figure is closer to 10pc in the UK.

Heroin use is less than 1pc, but it causes most drug-related problems 
including crime, infectious diseases and overdoses.

The number of deaths each year from drug overdoses and poisonings in 
the EU has stabilised at about 7,500, roughly half that of the US.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Josh