Tallaght Drugs & Alcohol Task Force (TDATF) was one of 14 Local Drugs Task Forces set up in the late 1990’s to facilitate a more effective local response to the issue of problematic drug use. In the subsequent years, the communities of TDATF have seen significant variation in trends and patterns of drug misuse in addition to population increases and demographic changes. TDATF commissioned this work to research, define and reflect on the current substance misuse landscape and the responses required, with a view to informing their new strategy commencing 2022. This executive summary sets out the key findings from this research and should be read in the context of the full report. The data in this report is revised to include end of year 2021 data and supersedes all previous reports.

Substance misuse statistics
The TDATF area has among the highest rates of substance misuse in Ireland. In 2021, 967 cases received an intervention from TDATF funded services. Cocaine has overtaken heroin as the main problem drug treated by TDATF funded services. 36% (n=352) of those in receipt of an intervention in 2021 reported problem cocaine use. 19% (n=187) reported problematic heroin use with 15% (144) and 13% (n=123) treated for alcohol and cannabis respectively. 8% (n=82) of the caseload presenting to TDATF services in 2021 were “concerned persons” seeking an intervention as a result of the substance misuse of a family member. In 2021, the second highest numbers accessing drug treatment nationwide resided in the HSE CHO 7 area which also had the second highest presentation of new cases. In 2019 TDATF had the third highest number of clients (621) on methadone treatment across all the Local and Regional Drug & Alcohol Task Force areas, only the North (821) & South Inner City (641) DATF’s had more clients engaging in methadone programmes . There is a strong correlation between methadone and crack cocaine use with services anecdotally reporting as many as 70% of people on some TDATF methadone programmes also using crack cocaine....