Cocaine 'in every bar in Ireland', Cork man in recovery says

The latest Health Research Board (HRB) figures show that nearly 300 Cork cases of problem cocaine use were treated in 2024, the highest annual number recorded to date, as a former addict says that cocaine is in every community in Ireland.

The Health Research Board figures show that the amount of people seeking treatment for drug addiction in the South-West (Cork and Kerry) has remained relatively static in the last eight years, but the drugs they are seeking treatment for have changed.

There were 1,029 cases of people seeking treatment for drug use in the South-West in 2024, with 36% of these being for cocaine — significantly higher than 14% in 2017.

Treatment demand 

According to treatment demand in Ireland last year, cocaine remains Ireland’s most common drug treated (excluding alcohol), ing for 5,289 cases, or 40% of all drug treatment cases, up from 4,923 cases (37.6%) in 2023.

In the Cork region, 296 people for whom cocaine was the main problem attended treatment last year — representing a 139% increase from 2017.

In contrast, opioids — mainly heroin — were the second-most common drug people sought treatment for nationally, but the number of cases fell for the second consecutive year, with the HRB noting “the changing profile of s and how prevalent cocaine use has become in society”.

Recovery

A young Cork man, who has been in recovery from cocaine and alcohol for over two years, told The Echo: “Cocaine goes hand in hand with drink in this country, it’s in every bar in Ireland, and it’s people of all ages, all socio-economic backgrounds.

“It’s a very slippery slope, it can really creep up on people. If you’re big into drinking, once you try cocaine, your drinking will never be the same.

“Every time you drink, you’ll have the thought of getting a bag, then it becomes getting a bag every time irrespective of the trouble you know it will get you into with your family, friends, and job.”

On the consequences compared to alcohol, he said: “Well, financially, there’s no comparison between the two.

“You can get as drunk as you want for €30, but you can put €30 up your nose in 10 seconds and want more"

Consequences

“The consequences are worse with cocaine — if you’re just drinking, the session has a natural end point, but if there’s cocaine involved, you won’t sleep, so it prolongs it. It doesn’t stop until you can’t get any more, so you’re far more likely to skip work and not fulfil any of your responsibilities.”

Public health minister Jennifer Murnane O’Connor said: “This report provides clear evidence of the importance of a health-led approach to drug use.

“We have to face up to the wide prevalence of problem drug use across society, and provide appropriate services to meet the health and social needs of the diverse population groups who use drugs.”