A new report from Trinity College Dublin presents a decade-long exploration of non-fatal opioid overdoses (NFODs) in Ireland.1 Authored by Professor Jo-Hanna Ivers and Neil Dunne, the study combines clinical data, systematic review findings, and policy analysis to shine a light on the evolving nature of opioid-related harm, especially within Dublin’s inner city.

The study found that between 2011 and 2021, over 2,500 NFOD cases were recorded in Ireland’s acute hospitals. Dublin’s inner city, despite accounting for just a fraction of the national population, was disproportionately affected. Heroin was the most implicated opioid until 2020, when methadone, a drug used in opioid agonist treatment, surpassed it in prevalence. Outside the city, other opioids, including prescription and synthetic drugs, emerged as primary contributors to overdose, pointing to different risk environments across urban and rural contexts.

Age demographics also shifted over the decade. In Dublin, the typical NFOD patient has aged, with a declining number of younger people affected. Trends show an increase in female overdose cases, particularly in non-urban areas, which the authors suggest show changing drug use patterns that demand sex-responsive services.

The report offers a number of evidence-based recommendations. These include expanding access to psychological and social inclusion supports enhancing methadone monitoring; developing structured overdose risk assessments; and ensuring coordinated care pathways from hospital to community. The authors also suggest that greater naloxone distribution and harm-reduction outreach, especially in high-risk areas, is required.

1         Ivers J and Dunne N (2025) A decade-long exploration of non-fatal opioid overdose 2011 to 2021. Dublin: Trinity College Dublin. Available from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/42646/