A recent study has revealed a sharp increase in cocaine use and associated health harms in Ireland over the past two decades. Conducted by a team of researchers from the Health Research Board (HRB); the School of Public Health, University College Cork (UCC); Trinity College Dublin; and the Health Service Executive (HSE), the study used data from five national databases to track trends from 2000 to 2023.

In this research, which has been published in the journal BMC Public Health, findings show that last-year prevalence of cocaine use among 15–64-year-olds in Ireland more than doubled, rising from 1.1% in 2002–03 to 2.4% in 2023.1 Hospitalisations, psychiatric admissions, treatment episodes, and deaths related to cocaine use have all risen dramatically over this time period. For example, cocaine-related hospital discharges increased from 1.4 per 100,000 population in 2000 to 24.3 in 2022. Treatment entrants reporting cocaine as their main problem drug increased from 1.5 per 100,000 population in 2000 to 93.2 in 2023, while cocaine-related poisoning deaths rose from 0.13 to 2.6 per 100,000 between 2000 and 2020 (see Figures 1, 2 and 3).

Figure 1: Cocaine-related inpatient hospitalisations per 100,000 population in Ireland, 2000–2022

Source: Mongan et al. (2025) 

Using joinpoint regression analysis, the researchers identified distinct periods of increase and decrease. Harms generally rose until 2007, declined during the recession years, and surged again from around 2013 onwards. This trend likely reflects both Ireland’s economic recovery and broader increases in cocaine availability and purity across Europe.

The study highlights the growing challenge posed by cocaine use in Ireland. Notably, a large share of cocaine users are young adults, with rising use reported among third-level students. Despite increased seizures by law enforcement, cocaine remains highly accessible.

Figure 2: Treatment episodes involving cocaine per 100,000 population in Ireland, 2000–2023

Source: Mongan et al. (2025)

Figure 3: Cocaine-related deaths per 100,000 population in Ireland, 2000–2020

Source: Mongan et al. (2025)

The authors stress the urgency of targeted prevention and harm reduction, particularly in adolescent and university settings. They also call for expanded treatment capacity, especially given the lack of approved pharmacological therapies for cocaine use disorder. With cocaine use now widespread in Ireland, and with harms accelerating, the researchers conclude that Ireland, and Europe more broadly, must prioritise coordinated public health responses to address this evolving health issue.

1         Mongan D, Millar SR, Carew AM, et al. (2025) Trends in cocaine use and cocaine-related harms in Ireland: a retrospective, multi-source database study. BMC Public Health 25, 2285. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23224-y https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/43633/