A draft of the new national drugs strategy 2026–2029 was published by the Department of Health in February 2026 for public consultation.1 It outlines the vision, pillars, principles and enabling measures that will form Ireland’s “integrated, equitable and evidence-based response to drug and harmful alcohol use” (p. 1).1

A strategy for alcohol and other drugs

As with its predecessor, the draft strategy is concerned with the use of alcohol and other drugs. The draft strategy describes its approach to ‘drug and harmful alcohol use’, with harmful alcohol use defined as “patterns of alcohol use that result in adverse physical or psychological harm or lead to dependency on alcohol, including alcohol use disorder” (p. 7).1 The previous national drug and alcohol strategy Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery did not make this distinction between alcohol and other drug use in its working definition. It worked to a definition of substance misuse as “the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol, illegal drugs and the abuse of prescription medicines” (p. 7).2

A health-led approach

The draft strategy reiterates the Government’s commitment to a health-led approach to drug use. While having a heavy focus on the health domain, it also recognises the complex nature of drug use and the need for action across other public policy areas, including housing, education, employment support, and the criminal justice system.

Vision, strategic pillars and principles of the draft strategy

This section outlines the vision, strategic pillars, and principles underlying the draft strategy, as they appear in the document (p. 19).1

Vision

A society where the harms from drug and alcohol use are minimised for individuals, children, families and communities and where health and social care for those affected is high quality, accessible, equitable, person-centred, integrated and recovery oriented.

Strategic pillars

There are five strategic pillars proposed:

• Protect individuals, children, families and communities from the harmful effects of drug and alcohol use
• Provide equitable access to high-quality drug and alcohol services across health regions and population groups
• Champion recovery in drug and harmful alcohol treatment, community services and in public policies
• Prioritise health supports for people in contact with the criminal justice system due to drugs or harmful alcohol use
• Prepare for and respond effectively to a more dynamic and global drugs market.

A set of actions is outlined under each strategic pillar. A total of 30 actions are proposed for 2026–2027, at which point a new set of actions will be adopted.

Principles

The strategic pillars are underpinned by the following principles:

• Respond to drug use from a health perspective, with an emphasis on prevention, harm reduction and treatment
• Commitment to health equity, including the right to health for people who use drugs and the right of the child to be protected from the harmful effects of drug and alcohol use
• Engagement with people with lived and living experience in the design and delivery of services, including measures to reduce stigma
• Collaborative working within Government and between Government, state agencies, civil society and impacted communities to address both the causes and consequences of drug use
• Recognition of the diverse social and cultural needs of women and minority groups impacted by drug and harmful alcohol use and for mainstreaming of gender-sensitive responses and interventions
• Integrated responses to the harms of alcohol and drug use, with a particular focus on the treatment of polydrug use.

Next steps

The strategy is based on the findings of a number of national activities and outputs:

• The findings of the evaluation of the national drug strategy (2017–2025)3
• The findings of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use4
• A report on stakeholder consultations carried out on the new national drugs strategy5
• Analysis of trends in drug and alcohol use and the associated harms.

Further public consultation is being undertaken by the Department of Health on this draft strategy. A six-week public consultation on the draft strategy was launched in late February 2026 to run to April 2026. A summary report on the responses to this consultation will be published and the final strategy published. No publication date for the strategy has been announced.

1    Department of Health (2026) Draft National Drugs Strategy 2026-2029. An integrated, equitable and evidence-based response to drug and harmful alcohol use. Dublin: Department of Health. Available from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/45067/

2    Department of Health (2017) Reducing harm, Supporting Recovery: a health-led response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland 2017–2025. Dublin: Department of Health. Available from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27603/

3    Grant Thornton (2025) Evaluation of the National Drug Strategy “Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery 2017-2025”. Dublin: Department of Health. Available from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/43790/

4    Citizens’ Assembly (2024) Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use. Dublin: Citizens’ Assembly. Available from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/40393/

5    Healy G and Walsh K (2025) Stakeholder consultations to inform the development of a successor national drug strategy: summary of key findings. Dublin: Department of Health. Available from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/44454/