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

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