The Health Research Board (HRB) is the designated Irish Focal Point for the EU drugs agency, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).

Set up in 1993, and based in Lisbon, the EMCDDA provides factual, objective, reliable and comparable information concerning drugs, drug addiction and their consequences. The Centre monitors the drugs situation and responses to drug-related problems in Europe. It works on the development of tools and instruments to facilitate Member States and the Commission to monitor and evaluate their policies. It also provides a platform for the exchange of latest evidence and best practice in the field.

Each year, the Irish Focal Point team, prepare a national report for Ireland. The team work closely with national agencies, and with teams within the HRB, including the National Drug Treatment Reporting System and the National Drug Related Deaths Index, to monitor and collect relevant data so that valid comparisons can be made about current patterns and emerging trends in drug use in Europe.

Irish annual national report for the EMCDDA

European annual report by the EMCDDA

EMCDDA publications