On 22 March 2007 the National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD) in Ireland and the Drugs and Alcohol Information and Research Unit of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland published the fifth and sixth bulletins1 of results from the 2002/2003 all-Ireland general population drug prevalence survey. Bulletin 5 focuses on polydrug use in the adult population (15–64 years) and Bulletin 6 focuses on sedative, tranquilliser and anti-depressant use in the adult population.

For the purpose of Bulletin 5, polydrug use is defined as use of two or more drugs in the last month. Polydrug use involves the concurrent use of two or more of the following substances: alcohol, tobacco, any illegal drug or any other legal drugs (sedatives, tranquillisers or anti-depressants). The findings for Ireland are presented in this article.  

Just under one-fifth (19%) of the 4,918 survey respondents reported that they had not used any substance in the last month. Among those who had used drugs in the last month, the most common substance combinations were:

1.       24% had used alcohol and tobacco

2.       1.9% had used alcohol, tobacco and at least one illegal drug

3.       1.4% had used alcohol and sedatives, tranquillisers or anti-depressants

4.       1% had used alcohol, tobacco and sedatives, tranquillisers or anti-depressants

5.       0.6% had used alcohol and at least one illegal drug

6.       0.5% had used tobacco and sedatives, tranquillisers or anti-depressants

7.       0.2% had used tobacco and at least one illegal drug

8.       0.2% had used alcohol, tobacco, at least one illegal drug, and sedatives, tranquillisers or anti-depressants

9.       0.1% had used tobacco, at least one illegal drug, and sedatives, tranquillisers or anti-depressants

The combination of alcohol, tobacco and any illegal drug was more commonly reported by men (2.7%) than by women (2.1%). A higher proportion of young adults (15–34 years) reported that they had used alcohol with tobacco than their older counterparts (35–64 years), 28% compared to 21%.

As expected, the results of the polydrug use survey reflect drug use in recreational situations rather than problematic drug use in socially deprived areas or among treated problem drug users.

For the purpose of Bulletin 6, sedatives, tranquillisers and anti-depressants were grouped as a collective and were not presented by their individual drug families.   The main measures of use were lifetime (ever used), use in the last year (recent use) and use in the last month (current use).

The key findings were:

• One in five (22%) respondents reported that they had taken sedatives, tranquillisers or anti-depressants during their lifetime.  Of these, 95% said that the drug was prescribed.
• Females reported higher prevalence rates than males for all three time measures.
• The average age for first use of sedatives, tranquillisers or anti-depressants was 28 years for males and 30 years for females.  The average age of first use by those in the 15–34-year age group  was 22 years, and by those in the 35–64-year age group 37 years; this may indicate two different patterns among the user population.
• Ten per cent of respondents had used sedatives, tranquillisers or anti-depressants in the last month and, of these, 84% had taken them on a daily basis.
• Sedative, tranquilliser or anti-depressant use was more likely among those who were over 35 years, or long-term unemployed, or had left school at primary level. 

1. National Advisory Committee on Drugs and Drug and Alcohol Information and Research Unit (2007) Drug use in Ireland and Northern Ireland. 2002/2003 drug prevalence survey: polydrug use results. Bulletin 5; and Drug use in Ireland and Northern Ireland. 2002/2003 drug prevalence survey: sedatives, tranquillisers or anti-depressants. Bulletin 6. Dublin: National Advisory Committee on Drugs.