Home > The 2019–20 Irish National Drug and Alcohol Survey: main findings.

Mongan, Deirdre ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3616-4253, Millar, Seán ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4453-8446 and Galvin, Brian ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5639-1819 (2021) The 2019–20 Irish National Drug and Alcohol Survey: main findings. Dublin: Health Research Board.

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The National Drug and Alcohol Survey (NDAS) collects information on alcohol and tobacco consumption and drug use among the general population in Ireland. It also surveys people’s attitudes and perceptions relating to tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use and records the impact of drug use on people’s communities. The 2019–20 NDAS collected information from 5,762 people aged 15 years and older across Ireland.

Key findings

  • One-in-fourteen (7%) people have used an illegal drug in the last year. This hasn’t changed since the most recent survey in 2014–15.
  • There has been an increase in the number of people who use illegal stimulants (cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamines) and a small decrease in the number of people using cannabis.
  • 15–24-year-olds are most likely to report drug use. Men are twice as likely as women to use drugs.
  • A wider range of drugs are being used since the previous survey, with 25% of those who used drugs in the last year reporting use of at least three different drugs compared with 15% in 2014–15.
  • Cocaine use has increased across all age groups. Men aged 25–34 are most likely to report cocaine use in the last year, rising from 2% in 2002–03 to 9% in 2019–20.
  • Nine-in-ten people support the use of cannabis for medical purposes, while less than three-in-ten support recreational use.
  • In areas that are most and least deprived there is little difference in the prevalence of drug use, while communities with high levels of deprivation are disproportionately impacted by the negative effects of drug use activities in their local area.
  • There are fewer smokers than ever before. The current survey is the first time that the proportion of ex-smokers was found to be greater than current smokers. Health concerns, cost and health warning labels were cited as the main reasons for quitting.
  • One-in-five drinkers have an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD); this increases to one-in-three among drinkers aged 15–24 years. Drinkers with AUD were 13 times more likely to experience alcohol-related harm compared to low-risk drinkers.
Item Type
Report
Publication Type
Irish-related, Report
Drug Type
Alcohol, All substances, Substances (not alcohol/tobacco), Cannabis, CNS depressants / Sedatives, CNS stimulants, Cocaine, Inhalents and solvents, Opioid, New psychoactive substance, Prescription/Over the counter, Tobacco / Nicotine
Intervention Type
General / Comprehensive, Screening / Assessment
Date
1 July 2021
Pages
65 p.
Publisher
Health Research Board
Place of Publication
Dublin
EndNote
Related (external) link
Subjects
A Substance use and dependence > Prevalence
A Substance use and dependence > Prevalence > Substance use behaviour > Alcohol consumption
A Substance use and dependence > Personal history of substance use (pathway) > Initiation
B Substances > Cannabis / Marijuana
B Substances > Substances in general
B Substances > Alcohol
B Substances > Tobacco (cigarette smoking)
B Substances > Tobacco (cigarette smoking) > Nicotine product (e-cigarette / vaping)
B Substances > Hallucinogens / Psychedelics > LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide)
B Substances > Hallucinogens / Psychedelics > Mushrooms (psilocybin)
B Substances > Inhalants and solvents
B Substances > Sedatives, hypnotics or tranquillisers (CNS depressants)
B Substances > CNS stimulants > Amphetamines
B Substances > CNS stimulants > MDMA / Ecstasy
B Substances > Cocaine
B Substances > Cocaine > Crack cocaine
B Substances > Opioids (opiates) > Heroin
B Substances > Opioids (opiates) > Opioid product > Methadone
E Concepts in biomedical areas > Medical substance > Medical / medicinal cannabis
E Concepts in biomedical areas > Route of administration
F Concepts in psychology > Attitude > Attitude toward substance use
G Health and disease > Substance use disorder > Multiple substance use (Poly-drug /Poly-substance)
G Health and disease > Substance use disorder > Alcohol use disorder
MM-MO Crime and law > Substance related offence > Drug offence > Illegal distribution of drugs (drug market / dealing)
MM-MO Crime and law > Crime and violence > Crime against persons (assault / abuse / intimidation)
MP-MR Policy, planning, economics, work and social services > Policy > Policy on substance use
MP-MR Policy, planning, economics, work and social services > Policy > Policy on substance use > Drug decriminalisation or legalisation policy
T Demographic characteristics > Adolescent / youth (teenager / young person)
T Demographic characteristics > Adult
T Demographic characteristics > Young adult
VA Geographic area > Europe > Ireland

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