Cover story

• Healthy Ireland Survey 2024 - Alcohol findings p.1 

Policy and legislation

• An Garda Síochána Strategy Statement 2022–2024 and 2024 Policing Plan p.5
• New Programme for Government and Minister for the National Drugs Strategy p.7
• Joint Committee on Drugs Use Interim Report p.8 

Recent research

• Alcohol Statistics Dashboard p.10
• Alcohol-related brain injury hospitalisations, 2015–2023 p.12
• Psychotic illness triggered by widely available semi-synthetic cannabinoid p.15 

Prevalence and current situation

• The burden of alcohol and other drugs on the District Court p.16
• Understanding knowledge and attitudes towards alcohol consumption – findings from the Evidence into Action Alcohol Project (EVID-ACTION) p.19
• Adolescent alcohol use continues to decline: findings from the Health Behaviour
  in School-aged Children survey 2022 p.23
• Courts Service Annual Report 2023 p.26
• Frostbite injuries from recreational nitrous oxide use p.30
• HSE Safer Nightlife programme: feedback on provision of harm reduction outreach
  in Irish festival settings p.31
• Prescription drug prescribing trends in Irish prisons, 2012–2020 p.32 

Responses

• National Drugs Forum 2024 p.34
• Women in addiction and domestic violence – the DAVINA project at SAOL p.36
• European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR) conference p.42 
• Updates

Recent publications p.43