The HRB has welcomed the official launch and national awareness campaign for the DRIVE project to support victims and build community capacity to address drug-related intimidation and violence. 

The DRIVE (Drug Related Intimidation & Violence Engagement) project offers specialised training, resources, and details of local supports – including non-judgemental, confidential services. The initiative brings together community and voluntary groups, An Garda Síochána, and Government departments and agencies to develop evidence-informed policies using a data-driven model focusing on data collection and information sharing.

The HRB is responsible for the data collection and analysis part of the project. The aim of this is to enable enhanced reporting of evidence on drug-related intimidation (DRI). The data are collected through the National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS)*. This will, for the first time, lead to a better understanding of the prevalence of DRI and associated trends in local communities, supporting inter-agency planning. 

Annual data collection started on 1 January 2025, and the first report will be available in 2026.

Dr Suzi Lyons, HRB senior researcher specialising in addiction surveillance and research said: “Drug-related intimidation and violence is a significant, but often hidden, public health issue affecting all sections of society. “Now, with implementation of the DRIVE project, the HRB has responsibility for managing the confidential DRI data and evidence coming from addiction and family support services, leading to an increased understanding of DRI prevalence and trends in local communities.”

The DRIVE initiative is funded by the Department of Health and coordinated by the National DRIVE Oversight Committee, of which Dr Lyons is a member. It is a key action under the National Drug Strategy...

* National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS) is the national surveillance system that records and reports on cases of drug and alcohol treatment in Ireland.