Thanks for coming! [#hopefest’17]

#hopefest’17

With the help of a lot of community organisations and people, we hosted a hugely successful street party – it was amazing craic! The sun was out, the food was great, and the families had a great time.Β  Most graciously, Peter Murtagh gave us a tremendous write-up in the Irish Times on Wednesday, 9th August, Online and in Thursday’s (10th August 2017) print edition.

“There are about 75 children, most in the toddler to young teen age bracket, shepherded by about 20 volunteers in high-vis vests.

The children spring through an elongated bouncy castle, have their faces painted, play hopscotch, generally mess about and have a good feed of chips and burgers and nuggets and curry sauce and fizzy drink.”

We were expecting around 100 guests, but as the day went on the event grew as more and more families came down and took part. Of the nearly 300 meals provided, 151 of them were kids’ meals. Circuit Catering‘s Burger Deli service was second to none. The immaculately clean food truck dished out a wide variety of chipper food – beef & chicken burgers, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and chips with or without toppings – that the crowd thoroughly loved. Although the queue was long, the food was absolutely worth the wait.

Local youth group, Urban Soul, came down – in force – with the bouncy castle obstacle course and many, many volunteers. They manned the obstacle course, painted faces and played basketball, hopscotch, hula-hoop games, to name but a few, with the children. The children would not have had such a high level of engagement and gameplay without Urban Soul’s participation. We cannot thank them enough!

Although there was a bit of a hiccup with the venue for the magic show, Magic Martha delivered the show, al-fresco, which turned out better for the small children and added to the atmosphere of the event as it sprawled out from the Home monument. Martha puts on a great show, the children love it! Martha really knows how to hold a crowd, make them smile and laugh out loud!

The community was out, en masse, with help for the setup and running of the event. We had volunteers help us setup, with games and with music. Thanks to the community volunteers, the overall event went off without a hitch! Gerard O’Neil donated his time and DJ equipment and a number of community members took part with singing and dancing.

And in the end, the event was taken down quicker than it went up. We had the space cleared in under half an hour thanks to the army of volunteers. Now that it’s over, we’re already planning for next year πŸ™‚

Every participant brought their best game and gave the event 110% effort, and for that we cannot thank everyone enough. That being said, none of it would have been possible without the huge support of Cluid Housing and Dublin City Council and the very gracious donation from the Croke Park Community Fund. Together however, we put on a fantastic day that will hopefully go down in memory as a great day in the summer of 2017.


“Community street party in front of the HOPE office, August 2017”

From HOPE-FEST’17. Posted by HOPE Hands On Peer Education on 8/11/2017 (206 items)

Generated by Facebook Photo Fetcher 2


The Habits of Long Term Sobriety by Kelly Fitzgerald on therecoveryvillage.com

This story first appeared on the Recovery Village, Online, 17th June 2016Β 

Getting through addiction treatment may be one of the hardest things you ever do.

It’s like learning how to do life all over again, but this time, you get an instruction manual. Once you graduate from rehab it will be up to you to take what you’ve learned and make it work in the real world.

It can be done, but there are daily recovery behaviors you should practice that will help lead you to long-term sobriety. Incorporate these things into your daily practice and you’ll be on your way to avoiding relapse and living a successful life in sobriety.

1. Honesty

To be sober, you have to be rigorously honest with yourself and others. Chances are if you’ve been through rehab already, you’ve heard this phrase before.

When I went through the 12 steps the first time and heard that I had to be completely honest, my first thought was, β€œoh crap.” Being honest about everything wasn’t my forte, but it became a way of life in sobriety. It’s almost like being sober and being honest go hand-in-hand. When you embark on your new life after addiction treatment, it’s imperative you keep being honest.

Honesty will help keep you sober.

2. Attending support groups

Whether it’s the 12 step, SMART recovery, Refuge Recovery, Women for Sobriety, or any other of the countless addiction support groups that are available, I recommend you find one as soon as you leave rehab. This will keep you accountable to your sobriety and offer you a support group in your area where you live.

There’s nothing that supports long-term sobriety better than a sober support system. You’ll be able to meet others who have been through similar situations you have and are also recovering from addiction. If have a problem or struggle in the future, these are groups of people you can turn to.

3. Meditation

I’ll be honest, I never meditated in my life before getting sober. It wasn’t something I ever thought about or would consider because I didn’t think it worked. When I sober and learned about whatΒ meditation is and that it never has to be done perfectly, like many of us think, I gave it a shot.

It’s amazing the calmness and peace that comes through a short meditation. All you have to do is quiet the mind and everything becomes much more manageable. Lived meditation is just being in the moment and not wishing you were somewhere else or someone else.

These are key aspects to successfully living in long-term sobriety; using your coping mechanisms at the right time and asking for guidance through meditation.

4. Exercise

Another seemingly simple behavior that is imperative to long-term sobriety is exercise. Exercise was always a part of my life, but it was something I had to do, not something I wanted to do.

When I got sober exercise took on a whole new role.

It gives me natural endorphins that make me feel good. It’s also a healthy outlet for my emotions. It keeps me sane. It also helps keep me on a schedule. You’ll be more likely to succeed in sobriety if exercise is part of your recovery plan.

5. Giving back

You might hear this in 12 step meetings, β€œyou have to give it away to keep it.” This means sobriety, and what you’ve learned,Β should be given back.

Helping others has been an integral part of my recovery.

When I am of service to others – whether it’s my blog readers, other 12 step group members, or chairing a meeting at a rehab, I always find ways to give back. This 100 percent helps keep me sober. It allows me to come in contact with others who need help or might benefit from hearing my story. It reminds me where I came from and where I’m going.

I find that being of service has been one component of my successful sobriety and I believe it will stay that way for years to come.

These daily recovery behaviors will help you stay on the path to lifelong sobriety. A successful recovery program is made up of many different elements and it looks different for everyone. Find what works for you and put your recovery plan into action.

This story first appeared on the Recovery Village, Online, 17th June 2016Β 

HOPE-FEST’17 [no typos] [please share]

On Wednesday 9th August 2017 from noon to 3pm we will be hosting a free family-event at the monument on the junction of Sean McDermot Street, Buckingham Street and Killarney Street.

Children and Adults from the Area are welcome to this street party. There will be food, a bouncy castle, a magic show, music, and games.

All free of charge. All welcome.

This event is sponsored by the Croke Park Community Fund and supported by Dublin City Council.

Please forward any and all questions to:
H.O.P.E., Killarney Court, Dublin 1.
[email protected]
01-887-8404

Please disregard the previous post, there was a mixup that we have fixed. Please save the date – Wednesday, 9th August 2017. Kick-off will be at noon, sharp.

26/06/2017 Notice from North Inner City Community Coalition

Dear All,

The next NICCC General meeting will be on:

Date: Monday 10th July
Time: 4pm
Venue: D-Light Studios, 46 North Great Clarence Street (warehouse building beside the new apartments on the corner of Dunne Street)

We asked that the working groups meet to discuss the terms of reference and convenor and other representative positions in advance of the meeting.

The Convenors will be putting forward a recommendation for discussion that their current mandate is extended in order to ensure continuity while the current structures and processes are being established with a view to holding elections after that.

Karl Mitchell and Ursula Donnellan from DCC have accepted our suggestion that they meet with the working groups to start hearing the priority issues. In advance of this meeting we are asking that working groups meet again to priorities the actions in the submission and begin looking at short, medium and long term actions. Once this has been done we will set up a date for Karl and Urusla to meet your working groups. The convenors will organise the meeting in conjunction with the chairs.

FYI: The convenors will meet with Michael Stone (Executive Chair) tomorrow and the first meeting of the Implementation Board will be on Wednesday. As it stands only one convenor has been invited to the meeting on Wednesday. We will discuss this with Michael Stone tomorrow.

Best wishes,

Sian
(on behalf of the Convenors)

Bloomsday in the Monto 2017, by Irene Crawley

A fantastic day was had by all bringing Joyce back to the North Inner City. The event was organised jointly by H.O.P.E. and the North Inner City Folklore Project with the generous help of many volunteers. We combined the traditional β€˜Madame of the Monto Wedding’, with scenes from the β€˜Night-Town’ chapter in James Joyce’s Ulysses. First and foremost, I would like to offer a big thank you from myself to Terry Fagan, it was a pleasure to work with you, as always.

We would like to extend our gratitude to Former Lord Mayor, Christy Burke and his beautiful β€œbride” and H.O.P.E. volunteer, Connie Murphy. Mick Rafferty and his troupe of actors gave a great performance of scenes leading up to the β€˜Night-Town’ chapter. Dublin City Council provided great support; a stage, gazebos, tables and chairs. Anto Kelly of Kelly’s Carriages graciously donated his time to pick up the bridal party and deliver them to the wedding. The community Garda from Store Street and Fitzgibbons Street were on hand to support the event. Conor O’MearΓ‘in was our professional photographer and did an excellent job capturing the festivities. Susan Porter spent several weeks tirelessly browsing charity shops for the great costumes. Elaine Hilliard did the hair for all the ladies who looked wonderful. Glenda Guilfoyle came along with her mobile costume unit, which was great fun. Gerard O’Neill volunteered his DJ equipment and services which added greatly to the atmosphere of the day. Delicious sandwiches were provided by George O’Brien. Carmel Cosgrove and Theresa Brady from our Management committee volunteered their services for the day. Also, serving our refreshments and helping out for the whole day in their fantastic costumes were Sandra Byrne, Shauna Byrne, Megan McEvoy, Bart Hoppenbrouwers (thank you for the photographs too), Michael Burke, Paula O’Connor, Celine Gifford, and Marilyn Molloy.

All of our staff pitched in for weeks of preparation, David Brown and Alison Grey were a huge help with everything from shopping, set up and planning – Alison also did the make-up and David is our IT Guy who organised all our promotions for the event. Finally, yet importantly, from the staff, thanks to β€œFather” Joe Dowling who was hilarious, as usual.

I would like to thank IMPACT for giving a grant towards the running of this event.

We would also like to thank our local representatives Maureen O’Sullivan TD (Independent), Councillor CiarΓ‘n Cuffe (Green Party) and Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna FΓ‘il) for coming along.

As well, we would like to thank the Irish Times for covering the event in three articles online, Live Images of Bloomsday,Β a video-clip of the event & a write-up on Friday 16th June 2017Β  and an amazing half page spread in the Saturday 17th June 2017 print edition.

Finaly, a big thanks to everyone for coming along! We hope next year to make the event bigger and better, with lots of community engagement.
-Irene Crawley, HOPE Manager


“Bloomsday in the Monto”

From Bloomsday 2017. Posted by HOPE Hands On Peer Education on 6/19/2017 (76 items)

Generated by Facebook Photo Fetcher 2

Ever want marry a madame?


We can’t help you there, but we can invite you down to Liberty Park this Bloomsday (at noon on Friday, June 16th 2017) for a Ulysses re-enactment with a twist.

The North Inner City Folklore Project & H.O.P.E. will host Bloomsday in the β€˜Monto’. Come and join us for an afternoon of theatre and afternoon tea in Liberty House Park, Foley Street, Dublin 1 on Bloomsday, Friday 16th June 2017. Kick-off is at noon, sharp. The event is free of charge and open to all.

Foley Street was called Montgomery Street and this gave the name to the small area just west of Connolly Station that was once Europe’s most infamous red-light district: the Monto. The Monto came to prominence in the late nineteenth century, until the new State, prompted by the Legion of Mary, effectively shut it down in the 1920s. The Monto was immortalised in James Joyce’s Ulysses. In the Circe chapter, the protagonist Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus visit a Brothel on Tyrone Street, now Railway Street.

This Bloomsday, we would like to invite people to come join us in the park as we re-enact those times through Ulysses readings, the Monto wedding, drama, song and afternoon tea. Please, if you can, come dressed up in Edwardian costume; for example: long dresses, ruffled blouses, fans and floral broad hats for the ladies and for the men; slacks, shirts, waistcoats, braces, straw boater hats, top hats and paddy caps.

About: The North Inner City Folklore Project was setup to document peoples’ memories of life in the north inner city from the 1900s up to the present day. Local historian, Terry Fagan, has collected a large archive of recordings, photographs and artefacts from tenement life. Today, Terry gives walking tours around the north inner city detailing subjects from Dublin tenement life, the Monto, to the 1913 lock out and the 1916 Easter rising. H.O.P.E., Hands On Peer Education, is a front-line service in the north inner city where the community’s addicts’ can get access to much needed support and treatment options. H.O.P.E. facilitates and advocates for recovery through abstinence. We also work with families affected by addiction & offer a wide range of advocacy services.

http://www.bloomsdayfestival.ie/fringe-programme/2017/6/16/bloomsday-in-the-monto

https://www.facebook.com/events/126973451179976

 

Story of HOPE in 2016

“Living in the flats in the 70s and 80s in town was great for me. I had many friends and still have, real decent people, I took part in all the games, talent shows and competitions that were going on. Drugs were around but I wasn’t interested and I knew very little about heroin, even though there was evidence of drugs being used on the stairs I never asked questions. My Ma was always there and my Da worked, when I look back I had a good childhood all the necessities were provided for. My Ma only had to look over the balcony to see if me and my other siblings were alright and if we needed her we just shouted, we were well minded. Life was good and I had dreams, I remember thinking I can’t wait to be 18 and travel the world.

I took an ecstasy tablet one night, this little tablet was a drug that led me to heroin, acid and crack. After hiding it for 2 years my family found out and tried to get me help. The methadone clinic was the answer. What should have only been a 3-month detox, turned out to be 25 years of running to clinics, doctors and chemists. I learned to shoplift and I sold drugs to keep my habit. At the age of 29 I nearly lost one limb through an abscess and stopped injecting heroin. I was still on methadone and made a promise I’ll get a job and sort myself out and I did get a job but I kept losing my jobs because I had to go the clinic for my methadone first. Eventually I became immune to the methadone and it no longer had any effect on me other than destroy my health and appearance. I turned to drink to help me cope with myself. I lived in regret and could not see a way out, I felt this was how it was I am drug addict and an alcoholic and I believed there was no way out.

When I first dropped into HOPE I never believed I could be helped, but I was broken and my way was not working. I didn’t want to die and most of all I wanted to be a mother who was there for her child before it was too late. Something as simple as a chat with staff who understood where I was at helped my mind set on my struggle to get clean and my self-worth. I took up their suggestions and a plan was put in place. With great effort and persistence from the staff in HOPE I got a bed in a treatment centre down the country. HOPE kept their word, β€œwe’ll be here for you when you come home.” They were, they still are there for me and anyone who needs their help. After treatment HOPE guided me towards the ACRG (After Care Recovery Group), who helped me deal with life without drugs and find out who I really am, before helping me back into education.

I returned to education aged 45 and I am currently in college. I spend my evenings studying alongside my daughter who is in secondary school. I try to teach her to question everything and to think for herself. Drugs and drink robbed many years from my child and me, but not today. My recovery is everything and I am forever grateful to HOPE and the ACRG for reassuring me it is possible to get clean and be a productive member of my community. Being clean was a dream of mine but I did not get clean alone nor will I stay clean alone. I still need my supports for encouragement and advice and I use them. It has been 2 years and 7 months since I touched a drink or a drug, Thank God.”

HRB Factsheet January 2017 – Alcohol: the Irish situation

Factsheet- Alcohol: the Irish situation

January 2017


What does alcohol do?

Alcohol is a psychoactive substance with dependence-producing properties. Consumption of alcohol and problems related to alcohol vary widely around the world, but the burden of disease and death remains significant in most countries. The harmful use of alcohol ranks among the top five risk factors for disease, disability and death throughout the world. Drinking alcohol is associated with a risk of developing such health problems as alcohol dependence, liver cirrhosis, cancers and injuries.

What is a standard drink in Ireland?

The standard drink in Ireland is 10 grams of pure alcohol.
Below are some examples of a standard drink.

  • A pub measure of spirits (35.5ml)
  • A half pint of normal beer
  • An alcopop (275ml bottle)
  • A small glass of wine (12.5% volume)

A bottle of wine at 12.5% alcohol contains about seven standard drinks.

What are the low-risk drinking guidelines in Ireland?

Low risk weekly guidelines for adults are:

  • up to 11 standard drinks in a week for women, and
  • up to 17 standard drinks in a week for men.

See more at Health Service Executive.

How dow we know how many people use alcohol in Ireland?

Every four years the National Advisory Committee on Drugs and Alcohol (NACDA) and the Northern Ireland Public Health Information and Research Branch (PHIRB) commission a survey of the general population to estimate the number of people in Ireland who use drugs and alcohol.2 Face-to-face interviews take place with respondents aged 15+a normally resident in households in Ireland and Northern Ireland. This type of survey is not designed to include people who do not normally live in private households (such as prisoners or hostel dwellers).

How much alcohol do Irish people consume?

The 2014/15 survey involved 9,505 people (7,005 in Ireland and 2,500 in Northern Ireland). The latest survey estimates show a decrease in the lifetime, last year and last month prevalence of alcohol use in the general population:

Table 1: Lifetime, last year and last month prevalence of alcohol use in the general population

The results for Ireland showed that:

  • 62.1% of Irish adults have consumed alcohol in the past month, with past year and lifetime usage at 77% and 82.8% respectively.
  • Lifetime (89.2%) and past year (83.3%) usage of alcohol is highest amongst those aged 35 to 44.
  • Last year use of alcohol is highest amongst males aged 25-34 years (86.4%) and females aged 35-44 years (81.7%).
  • Males across all age groups report higher last month usage of alcohol when compared to females within the same age range.

How much alcohol do Irish 15-16 year old students consume?

The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) has conducted surveys of school-going children every four years since 1995, using a standardised method and a common questionnaire (see www.espad.org ) including questions on alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use. The sixth survey was conducted in 36 European countries during 2014/15.3 1,400 Irish students took part in this latest survey.
Of these

  • 74% of students have tried alcohol, with more girls (75%) than boys (72%) having done so.
  • Beer was by far the most popular drink, with 29% of students having had it in the last 30 days.
  • 28% of students had engaged in binge-drinking in the past month.
  • More girls than boys drink for mood lifting reasons, and drinking to fit in was the least popular reason reported among boys and girls.
  • Boys (7.8%, n=35) were more likely to engage in drunk driving than girls (1.1%, n=5).
  • Far more students with F grades were current drinkers (60%) than those with A grades (21%).
  • 11% of students who had no friends who used alcohol were current drinkers, compared with 69% of students who said that all their friends drink.

Table 1: Alcohol use in the last 30 days since 2003 among 15-16-year-olds in Ireland

Health-related harms

In Ireland, the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE) scheme collects data on discharges (including deaths) from acute Irish hospitals.

All alcohol-related discharges, either wholly attributable (alcohol is a necessary cause for these conditions to manifest) or partially attributable (alcohol must be a component cause), were analysed. The number of people discharged from hospital whose condition was wholly attributable to alcohol rose by 82% between 1995 and 2013, from 9,420 to 17,120. Males accounted for 72% of these discharges and females 28%.

There has also been a steady increase in the average length of stay for hospital discharges associated with alcohol, from 6.0 days in 1995 to 10. days in 2013, which suggests that patients with alcohol-related diagnoses are becoming more complex in terms of their illness. Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) was the most common chronic alcohol disease, accounting for approximately four-fifths of all alcohol-related chronic diseases in 2013. The rate of discharges with ALD increased from 28.3 per 100,000 adults aged 15 years and over in 1995 to 87.7 in 2013, an increase of 210%.

Analysis of data from the National Cancer Registry of Ireland found that between 2001 and 2010, of the 24,995 cases of breast cancer, 3,058 (12.2%) were attributable to alcohol. Of the 6,601 women who died of breast cancer, 695 (10.5%) cases were attributable to alcohol.

The National Registry of Deliberate Self-Harm is a national system of population monitoring for the occurrence of deliberate self-harm, established by the National Suicide Research Foundation. In 2015, Alcohol was involved in just over one third of all cases (31%), a slight decrease from 2014.. Alcohol was more involved in male episodes of self-harm than female episodes (34% versus 29%, respectively).

How many people receive treatment for alcohol us?

The National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS) provides data on treated drug and alcohol misuse in Ireland. The National Psychiatric Inpatient Reporting System (NPIRS) provides detailed information on all admissions and discharges to inpatient psychiatric services in Ireland.

The most recent published data from the NDTRS shows that the number of cases entering treatment who reported alcohol as their main problem drug decreased from 8,604 in 2009 to 7,541 in 2014 (-12%).
Of the 7,451 cases in 2014 who reported alcohol as their main problem drug:

  • 163 (2%) were aged under 18 years; 2,467 (33%) were aged 18–34; 2,035 (27%) were aged 35–44; and 2,542 (33%) were aged 45–64 and 237 were aged over 65 (3.2%).
  • 3,674 (48%) were new cases.
  • 1,688 (22%) lived in Dublin.
  • 4,757 (63%) were men.
  • 1,395 (18%) used alcohol with other drugs.

There has been a considerable decrease in the numbers admitted to psychiatric hospitals for alcohol treatment. The total number of people admitted to psychiatric hospitals with an alcoholic diagnosis decreased by 46.9% between 2006 and 2015, i.e. from 2,767 to 1,188.

How many people die from using alcohol?

The National Drug-Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) is a database which records cases of death by drug and alcohol poisoning, deaths among drug users and those who are alcohol dependent.
Alcohol was involved in 115 deaths (32% of all poisonings) in 2014, more than any other substance. 59% of deaths where alcohol was implicated involved other drugs (poly-drug poisonings), mainly opiates. Alcohol alone was responsible for 13% of all poisoning deaths. The number of deaths involving alcohol has decreased from 140 in 2013 to 115 in 2014.

What impact has alcohol on the Irish economy?

According to the report Overview of alcohol consumption, alcohol-related harm and alcohol policy in Ireland:

  • In 2013, alcohol-related discharges accounted for 160,211 bed days in public hospitals; that is 3.6% of all bed days that year; compared to 56,264 bed days or 1.7% of the total number of bed days in 1995.
  • €1.5 billion was the cost for alcohol-related discharges from hospital. That is equal to €1 for every €10 spent on public health in 2012. This excludes the cost of emergency cases, GP visits, psychiatric admissions and alcohol treatment services.
  • An estimated 5,315 people on the Live Register in November 2013 had lost their job due to alcohol use.
  • The estimated cost of alcohol-related absenteeism was €41,290,805 in 2013.

What does the law say about alcohol?

The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015 aims to reduce alcohol consumption in Ireland to 9.1 litres per person per annum by 2020 and to reduce the harms associated with alcohol. The Bill consists of 29 sections and includes five main provisions. These are: minimum unit pricing; health labelling of alcohol products; the regulation of advertising and sponsorship of alcohol products; structural separation of alcohol products in mixed trading outlets; and the regulation of the sale and supply of alcohol in certain circumstances.

See more at Alcohol Action Ireland Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Main Measures.

Intoxicating Liquor Acts

  • It is an offence to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 18.
  • It is an offence to buy alcohol for people under the age of 18.
  • It is also an offence to give alcohol to anyone under the age of 18 unless in a domestic home and they have parental consent.

See more at Citizens Information

For more information on alcohol please refer to the following sources:

  1. World Health Organization. (2014) Global status report on alcohol and health 2014. World Health Organization, Geneva.
  2. National Advisory Committee on Drugs & Public Health Information and Research Branch (2016) Prevalence of drug use and gambling in Ireland & drug use in Northern Ireland. Bulletin 1. Dublin: National Advisory Committee on Drugs and Alcohol.
  3. Taylor, Keishia and Babineau, Kate and Keogan, Sheila and Whelan, Ellen and Clancy, Luke (2016) ESPAD 2015: European Schools Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs in Ireland. Dublin: Department of Health.
  4. Mongan, Deirdre and Long, Jean (2016) Overview of alcohol consumption, alcohol-related harm and alcohol policy in Ireland. Dublin: Health Research Board.
  5. Griffin, Eve and Arensman, Ella and Corcoran, Paul and Dillon, Christina B and Williamson, Eileen and Perry, Ivan J (2016) National Self-Harm Registry Ireland annual report 2015. Cork: National Suicide Research Foundation.
  6. Health Research Board. (2015) Treated problem alcohol use in Ireland: figures for 2013 from the National Drug Treatment Reporting System. Health Research Board, Dublin.
  7. Treatment data HRB National Drugs Library interactive tables.
  8. Mental Health statistics HRB National Psychiatric In-patient Reporting System database.
  9. Health Research Board (2016) National Drug-Related Deaths Index 2004 to 2014 data. Health Research Board, Dublin.

Further resources:

Gavin, Aoife and Keane, Eimear and Callaghan, Mary and Molcho, Michal and Kelly, Colette and Nic Gabhainn, Saoirse (2015) The Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study 2014. Department of Health and National University of Ireland, Galway, Dublin

Gell, Lucy and Ally, Abdallah and Buykx, Penny and Hope, Ann (2015) Alcohol’s harm to others. Institute of Alcohol Studies.

Hope, Ann (2015) Research evidence to prevent alcohol-related harm: what communities can do in Ireland. Galway Healthy Cities: Galway City Alcohol Strategy to Prevent and Reduce Alcohol-Related Harm (2013-2017), Galway.

Useful websites:

How to cite this factsheet:

HRB National Drugs Library (2017) Alcohol: the Irish situation. HRB National Drugs Library, Dublin www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24954

************

Other Factsheets in this series:

Cocaine: the Irish situation
Opiates: the Irish situation
Sedatives and tranquillisers: the Irish situation
Cannabis: the Irish situation

HRB National Drugs Library – Find the evidence

www.drugsandalcohol.ie

  • Quick updates – newsletter & Drugnet Ireland
  • Summaries – Factsheets & Annual national reports
  • Policy – Policy page & Dail debates
  • International research on interventions – Evidence resources
  • Publications of key organisations – HRB, NACDA & EMCDDA
  • Explanations of terms and acronyms – Glossary
  • Treatment data – Drug data link (or HRB publications)
  • Alcohol diary data
  • Search our collection – basic and advanced (you can save your results)

HRB National Drugs Library

Health Research Board
Grattan House
67-72 Lower Mount Street
Dublin 2, Ireland
t +353 1 2345 175
e [email protected]
w www.drugsandalcohol.ie

 

 

 

 

HRB Factsheet January 2017 – Opiates: the Irish situation

Opiates: the Irish situation

January 2017


In common usage, the term β€˜opiate’ tends to be understood as referring to all opiate/opioid drugs. To keep things simple, this Factsheet uses the term β€˜opiate’ in this way.


What are opiates?

Opiates are derived from the dried milk of the opium poppy. Synthetic opiates are called opioids. Heroin is the most commonly used opioid. Methadone, which is used as a substitute drug in the treatment of heroin addiction, is also an opioid.

What do opiates do?

Opiates are sedative drugs that depress the nervous system. They induce feelings of relaxation and detachment in the user. The more often the drug is used the greater the quantity needed to produce the desired effect. Physical dependence often results from regular use and withdrawal can be very unpleasant. Opiates can be smoked, snorted or prepared for injection. Overdosing on an opiate can be fatal.

How do we know how many people use opiates in Ireland?

Surveys of random samples of the population can be used to estimate the total number of people who use specific drugs. However, opiate users are under-represented in population-based surveys, which are not designed to include people who do not normally live in private households (such as the homeless, hostel dwellers or prisoners).

Researchers in Ireland use a number of sources of information to estimate the number of opiate users in the population. These include:

  • The Central Treatment List (CTL), which is a register of the number of people who are receiving methadone or another opioid as a substitute drug treatment.
  • The Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE) scheme, which records details of people discharged from hospital, including their diagnosis.
  • The Garda information systems, which record details of drug-related crime.

How many people use opiates in Ireland?

There have been attempts in recent years to estimate the number of problem opiate users in Ireland using these overlapping sources. The first study estimated that 14,158 people were using heroin in 2001, a rate of 5.6 per 1,000 of the population. In 2006 the estimate was 20,790, a rate of 7.2 per 1,000. There are about 1.3 million opiate users in Europe.

How many people receive treatment for opiate use?

As of 31st August 2016 there were 9,652 patients receiving treatment for opiate use (excluding prisons).

The National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS) provides data on treated drug and alcohol misuse in Ireland.a A total of 16,587 cases entered treatment for problem drug or alcohol use in 2014, of whom 4,477 reported an opiate as their main problem drug. Of the 4,477 cases who reported an opiate as their main problem drug:

  • 943 were new cases.
  • 2,148 were resident in Dublin.
  • 2,955 were men.
  • 5 were under 18 years; 2,618 were aged 18–34.
  • 2,676 used opiates with other drugs.
  • 2,079 used an opiate daily, 640 used it between two and six days per week, 294 used it once per week or less, and 1,163 had not used it in the last month.ha
  • 1,737 injected, 2,059 smoked, 487 ate/drank and 5 sniffed/snorted opiates.

How many people die from using opiates?

The National Drug-Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) is a database which records cases of death by drug and alcohol poisoning, and deaths among drug users and those who are alcohol dependent. 354 people died from poisoning in 2014. Opiates were the main drug group implicated in poisoning deaths in Ireland in 2014. Methadone was implicated in more than a quarter of poisonings (98, 28%). The number of deaths where heroin was implicated increased to 90 in 2014 compared to 86 in 2013. This is the second year in succession that a rise in heroin deaths is reported.

One quarter (25%) of all poisoning deaths involved heroin. Of those who died where heroin was implicated:

  • 87% were male
  • 81% involved more than one drug
  • 48% were injecting at the time of the incident that led to their death
  • 46% lived outside Dublin (city and county)
  • 42% were not alone at the time of the incident that led to their death
  • 29% were homeless
  • 18% were recorded as being in addiction treatment at the time of their death.

Non-fatal overdoses and drug-related emergencies

According to the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE) scheme, 4,233 cases of non-fatal overdose were discharged from Irish hospitals in 2013. There were 14% (587) positive findings for narcotic or hallucinogenic drugs in relation to these cases, of which 80% (468) were for an opiate.

What does the law say about opiates?

Heroin and other opiates are on the list of controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977 and 1984, and amending regulations. Under the legislation a person who has this controlled drug in their possession is guilty of an offence. You can find more information about Irish drug laws, offences and penalties on the Citizens Information Board website.

Seizure of opiates

Information on drugs and crime is published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and includes data on drug seizures made by Garda and Revenue Customs officers. The number of seizures of heroin rose from 690 in 2013 to 954 in 2014. There were 15 seizures of methadone in 2009, and 56 in
2014.

The Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) analyses drugs seized by the Garda. FSI prepare a quarterly report for the Garda and the data presented here are from the combined report for 2014. This tells us the number of cases involving drugs initiated by the Garda and gives a picture of the relative
frequency of the various types of illicit drugs seized. 954 cases were associated with seizures of diamorphine (heroin). There was a significant increase in the quantity of heroin seized; from just under 40 Kgs in 2014 to just under 62 Kgs in 2015 (just over 61 Kgs of heroin in 2013).

For more information on opiates please refer to the following sources:

  1. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
  2. Kelly A, Teljeur C and Carvalho M (2009). Prevalence of opiate use in Ireland 2006: a 3-source capture-recapture study. Dublin: Stationery Office.
  3. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (2014) European drug report 2014: trends and developments. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
  4. Health Service Executive (2017) Health service performance report August/September 2016. Dublin: Health Service Executive.
  5. Treatment data HRB National Drugs Library interactive tables.
  6. Health Research Board (2016) National Drug-Related Deaths Index 2004 to 2014 data. Dublin: Health Research Board.
  7. Health Research Board Irish National Focal Point to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (2016) Ireland: national report for 2015 – harms and harm reduction.
  8. Irish National Focal Point to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. (2016) Ireland: national report for 2015 – drug markets and crime. Dublin: Health Research Board.
  9. An Garda Siochana (2016) An Garda Siochana: annual report 2015. An Garda Siochana, Dublin.

 

How to cite this factsheet:

HRB National Drugs Library (2017) Opiates: the Irish situation. HRB National Drugs Library, Dublin www.drugsandalcohol.ie/17313

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Other Factsheets in this series:

Cocaine: the Irish situation
Alcohol: the Irish situation
Sedatives and tranquillisers: the Irish situation
Cannabis: the Irish situation

HRB National Drugs Library – Find the evidence

www.drugsandalcohol.ie

  • Quick updates – newsletter & Drugnet Ireland
  • Summaries – Factsheets & Annual national reports
  • Policy – Policy page & Dail debates
  • International research on interventions – Evidence resources
  • Publications of key organisations – HRB, NACDA & EMCDDA
  • Explanations of terms and acronyms – Glossary
  • Treatment data – Drug data link (or HRB publications)
  • Alcohol diary data
  • Search our collection – basic and advanced (you can save your results)

HRB National Drugs Library

Health Research Board
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67-72 Lower Mount Street
Dublin 2, Ireland
t: +353 1 2345 175
e: [email protected]
w: www.drugsandalcohol.ie

 

HRB Factsheet November 2016 – Cannabis: the Irish situation


Factsheet- Cannabis: the Irish situation

November 2016


What is cannabis?

Cannabis is a natural product, the main psychoactive constituent of which is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Herbal cannabis and cannabis resin are formally known as marijuana and hashish. Cannabis cigarettes may be called reefers, joints or spliffs.

What does cannabis do?

All forms of cannabis are mind-altering and act by affecting the part of the brain where memories are formed. Small doses have very mild effects, sometimes none in the first time user.

Short-term effects of cannabis may include:

  • Difficulty learning and remembering
  • Distorted sense of vision, hearing or touch
  • Trouble thinking and problem-solving
  • Loss of co-ordination
  • Increased heart rate, anxiety, panic attacks.

How do we know how mnay people use cannabis in Ireland?

Every four years the National Advisory Committee on Drugs and Alcohol (NACDA) and the Northern Ireland Public Health Information and Research Branch (PHIRB) commission a survey of the general population to estimate the number of people in Ireland who use drugs and alcohol. Face-to- face interviews take place with respondents aged 15+ normally resident in households in Ireland and Northern Ireland. This type of survey is not designed to include people who do not normally live in private households (such as prisoners or hostel dwellers).

How many people use cannabis in Ireland?

The 2014/15 survey involved 9,505 people (7,005 in Ireland and 2,500 in Northern Ireland). The results for Ireland showed that:

  • Just over one in four people had used cannabis making it the most commonly used illegal drug in Ireland.
  • 27.9% had used it at least once (lifetime use).
  • 7.7% had used it in the last 12 months (recent use).
  • 4.4% had used it in the last month (current use).
  • 35.8% of men had used it, compared to 20% of women (lifetime use).
  • Lifetime usage of cannabis is highest amongst the 25 to 34 age group with 40.4% in this age group having used this drug at some stage during their lives. Those aged 15 to 24 are the most likely to have used cannabis both in the past year (16.2%) and past month (9.2%).

The latest survey estimates show a rise in the percentage of cannabis users in the general population aged 15–64:

Table 1: Lifetime, last year and last month prevalence of cannabis use in the general populationAn estimated 16.6 million (13.3%) young Europeans (aged 15–34) used cannabis in the last year, with 9.6 million (16.4%) of these aged 15–24. Among young people using cannabis in the last year, the ratio of males to females is two to one.

How many Irish 15-16 year old students use cannabis?

The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) has conducted surveys of school-going children every four years since 1995, using a standardised method and a common questionnaire (see www.espad.org ). The sixth survey, conducted in 36 European countries during 2014/15, collected information on alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use. 1,400 Irish students were surveyed in 2015.

  • More male (22.4%) than female respondents (15.5%) have ever tried cannabis (lifetime use).
  • 16.8% of students had used cannabis in the last 12 months (recent use).
  • 9.8% had use cannabis in the last 30 days (current use).
  • Around 70% of students who had used cannabis first did so at age 14 or 15 and the mean age of initiation was 14 years-old.
  • 43.4% perceived that it would be fairly or very easy to get cannabis if they wanted it.
  • A quarter of students (25.8%) said that there was no risk in trying cannabis and most
    students (32.5%) said that there was only a slight risk in trying it once or twice.

How many people receive treatment for cannabis use?

The National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS) provides data on treated drug and alcohol misuse in Ireland.

The most recent published data from the NDTRS5 shows that:

The number of cases entering drug treatment who reported cannabis as their main problem drug increased from 1,058 in 2005 to 2,609 in 2014.

Of the 2,609 cases in 2014 who reported cannabis as their main problem drug:

  • 611 (23.4%) were aged under 18 years; 1,738 (66.8%) were aged 18–34; 193 (7.3%) were aged 35–44; and 59 (2.2%) were aged 45–64.
  • 1,638 were new cases.
  • 2,101 (80%) were men.
  • 1,346 (51%) used cannabis with other drugs.
  • 1,330 (51%) used cannabis daily, 597 (22.8%) used it between two and six times per week, 205 (7.8%) used it once per week or less, and 377 (14.4%) had not used it in the last month.

What does the law say about cannabis?

Cannabis is on the list of drugs that are controlled by law. A person found in possession of cannabis or cannabis resin is guilty of an offence. It is also an offence to grow cannabis plants. You can find more information about Irish drug laws, offences and penalties on the Citizens Information Board website.

Seizures of cannabis

Cannabis accounts for the largest number of drug seizures in Ireland, as reported by the Central Statistics Office. Seizures are made by Garda and Revenue Customs officers and include cannabis herb, plants and resin. There were 2,912 cannabis seizures in 2012, 2,991 in 2013 and 2,226 in 2014.

The Garda send drugs seized to the laboratory of Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) for analysis. FSI prepare a quarterly report for the Garda and the data presented here are from the combined report for 2014. This tells us the number of cases involving drugs initiated by the Garda and gives a picture of the relative frequency of the various types of illicit drugs seized. 1,628 cases were associated with seizures of cannabis herb, 340 with cannabis plants and 258 with cannabis resin.

For more information on cannabis please refer to the following sources:

See also
(2016) ESPAD report 2015 results from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

How to cite this factsheet:

HRB National Drugs Library (2016) Cannabis: the Irish situation. HRB National Drugs Library, Dublin www.drugsandalcohol.ie/17307

************

Other Factsheets in this series:

Cocaine: the Irish situation
Opiates: the Irish situation
Sedatives and tranquillisers: the Irish situation
Alcohol – the Irish situation

HRB National Drugs Library – Find the evidence
www.drugsandalcohol.ie

  • Quick updates – newsletter & Drugnet Ireland
  • Summaries – Factsheets & Annual national reports
  • Policy – Policy page & Dail debates
  • International research on interventions – Evidence resources
  • Publications of key organisations – HRB, NACDA & EMCDDA
  • Explanations of terms and acronyms – Glossary
  • Treatment data – Drug data link (or HRB publications)
  • Alcohol diary data
  • Search our collection – basic and advanced (you can save your results)

HRB National Drugs Library

Health Research Board
Grattan House
67-72 Lower Mount Street
Dublin 2, Ireland
t: +353 1 2345 175
e: [email protected]
w: www.drugsandalcohol.ie