NEIC Community Event; Thursday, October 19th, 2017

What’s going on with the NEIC?

Last Thursday, October 19th, 2017, the communities of the north east inner city were invited to an open-house event in the Larkin Community College, where interested parties could find out about the North East Inner City Iniative’s Programme Implementation Board (PIB), it’s four sub groups, find out aboud what subsequent changes for the area are on the horizon, and meet the people involved.

The event was so very positive. It was a great turn-out. Micheal Stone, the PIB Chairperson, was inundated with questions for the entire event.  That is something which must be acknowledged, Micheal Stone did not sit down once. For the whole event he was up and engaging with each and every interested community representitive.

Even Joe was there for the whole event, and not his usual quick cameo. It was great to see such a good turn out and the high level of engagement on both sides. As well, Terry Fagan was out with his Folklore hat on, promoting the lauch of his new local museum. Stay tuned for more details about Terry’s museum.

“Following the publication of Kieran Mulvey’s independent report in February 2017, Michael Stone has been appointed Chairperson of the Programme Implementation Board for the North East Inner City (NEIC) Initiative. Work has commenced on the 54 actions in the Mulvey report by the new Programme Office and four dedicated sub groups.

An information day was planned for Thursday, 19th October where local residents and those who work in the area could drop in, learn more and have a say about what is happening in the community. The event took place in the Larkin Community College between 3pm and 8pm. Members of the Board were joined by others from community groups, the Gardaí, government departments and local organisations. There was a focus on four themes:

Crime and drugs;
Employment, training and education;
Family, youth and social services;
Physical landscape.

Commenting on this event, Michael Stone said: “I am determined that the NEIC Initiative will be successful and will make the North East Inner City a safe, attractive and vibrant living and working environment for all. Community involvement is key to the success of this work.”

– More information and images are available from [email protected]
– Kieran Mulvey’s report: https://merrionstreet.ie/MerrionStreet/en/ImageLibrary/20170218MulveyReport.pdf”

From NEIC Community Event October 2017. Posted by HOPE Hands On Peer Education on 10/20/2017 (8 items)

Generated by Facebook Photo Fetcher 2

About

Hands on Peer Education, is a front-line service in Dublin’s north inner city, where those suffering with addiction and their families can get access to much needed support and treatment options. H.O.P.E. facilitates and advocates for recovery through abstinence. We also offer a wide range of advocacy services. H.O.P.E.’s free and confidential drop-in clinic is open from 10am ‘til 1pm, Monday to Friday.

Now That You’re Here

We love to get feedback, it helps us improve our service to the community. If you have a minute, we would greatly appreciate it if you write a few words about our service. Follow the link below to see our reviews on Google. Click ‘write review’ on the right hand side to add your own.
https://goo.gl/BgznUi
Many thanks from the team in H.O.P.E.

Unlocking the Past is Fundamental to Recovery, by Thomas Beck on Sober Nation

This story first appeared on Sober Nation, Online, August 23rd 2017

Life experience and addiction are intrinsically linked. It’s an unquestionable fact, yet many substance users fail to make the connection before a condition spirals out of control.

The reality is that we learn cycles of behavior and thought early in life through our interactions with people and the environment around us. As these factors continue to influence the way we think and act, it becomes increasingly difficult to see past learned behaviors. And sometimes, life events and experiences can lead to the development of unrealistic and harmful thought patterns of self and society.

For instance, children who witness or experience physical abuse while growing up often develop their own ideas for why it happens. They may feel responsibility or blame themselves for the inappropriate actions of others. While these beliefs are not grounded in reality, they can have a dramatic impact on how children view the world.

Or, consider how some children learn behavior from their parents. If a child watches a parent drink alcohol to manage anger or stress, this behavior may appear as an acceptable coping skill. As such, a child who learns this behavior may repeat it as an adult.

Negative life events, a skewed sense of reality or learned behavior can play a significant role in the development of a substance use disorder. If not identified early or treated properly, a person’s past may continue to haunt them, leading to a desire to escape painful feelings through misuse of drugs or alcohol. Consequently, making the connection between life events and addition is critical to successful recovery.

Life Events and Addiction: The Connection

Suppression, the conscious act of eliminating a thought pattern, is a fundamental contributor to behavior that leads to substance abuse. People who suffer from addiction commonly use drugs or alcohol to aid in suppressing painful memories, traumatic events or feelings of guilt and shame.

Often, suppression becomes a roadblock to addiction recovery. The more we ignore our past, the further we move from reality. Addiction then becomes a disconnect from rational thought processes, which hinder our ability to remember and address life events in a healthy way. Substance users may become increasingly confused, contributing to feelings of anger, shame and guilt, and ultimately creating a vicious addiction cycle.

Effective recovery from addiction requires a baseline understanding of life experience to keep this cycle from exacerbating. For this reason, we ask patients to write out their life story as a first step to recovery. Once a patient understands his or her past, he or she can break down life experiences, compartmentalize them and begin processing events that have influenced thought patterns.

Every life story is different, and triggers of substance abuse come in many forms. Without this baseline understanding, treatment is less effective in holistically treating the individual and helping them develop healthier thought patterns and behaviors.

Identifying, Letting Go and Creating New Patterns

Many substance users who have suppressed thoughts over time find it difficult to remember the past. In these cases, it helps to write a timeline of 10 to 15 events that led them to where they are today. Often, this exercise brings more memories to the surface and allows you to fill in the gaps of your life story. Then, you can better break down and simplify overwhelming amounts of past knowledge.

For instance, grief and loss is often a trigger of substance use, yet many people fail to make the connection. If you write out a timeline of events, you can see where an addiction formed or got out of control, and subsequently identify its association to a grief and loss event. Once identified, you can work with a counselor to better address the underlying trigger of addiction, process the painful event and establish a way forward.

The best setting for writing out a life story varies. Some patients feel overwhelmed by a group setting at first and are best suited to start the process of identifying the past through individual counseling. Others may be more apt to progress quickly in a group setting. Ultimately, all patients can benefit from life story groups, as this framework helps substance users learn from each other, gain confidence and grasp that they are not alone in their struggles.

The process of identifying life events and letting go of destructive thought patterns takes time, but it is the first step to healing. Once we begin verbalizing our pain and learning from past experiences, we can then begin letting go of painful memories and thoughts we want to suppress. It is at this stage that new patterns of behavior are possible.

Every life story is categorically unique; our individual experiences shape our existence and are incomparable to others. The journey to recovery begins with our life story. By looking back, we can understand the triggers of addiction, address guilt and shame and ultimately, create a new way of thinking.

This story first appeared on Sober Nation, Online, August 23rd 2017

About

Hands on Peer Education, a.k.a. H.O.P.E., is a front-line service in Dublin’s north inner city, where those suffering with addiction and their families can get access to much needed support and treatment options. H.O.P.E. facilitates and advocates for recovery through abstinence. We also offer a wide range of advocacy services. H.O.P.E.’s free and confidential drop-in clinic is open from 10am ‘til 1pm, Monday to Friday.

Now That You’re Here

We love to get feedback, it helps us improve our service to the community. If you have a minute, we would greatly appreciate it if you write a few words about our service. Follow the link below to see our reviews on Google. Click ‘write review’ on the right hand side to add your own.

https://goo.gl/BgznUi

Many thanks from the team in H.O.P.E.

Institutionalised Lives in Ireland

 Forced Labour

During the Irish State’s infancy and right up to modern times, a variety forced labour institutions under the control of the Church and sanctioned by the State, robbed men, women and children of the basic human rights we hold dear today as Irish and European citizens. The institutions took three forms, Mother & Baby homes, Industrial Schools and the Magdalen Asylum for Penitent Females a.k.a. Magdalen Laundries. The idea behind these institutions was to provide for the vulnerable, people of all ages, on the island of Ireland. Although, they were regarded as religious penitentiaries where, in actuality, many of the inmates were subjected to horrific atrocities that can only be described as criminal.

Many were sent for the “crime” of being unmarried and pregnant, and they worked without pay in the laundries which supplied services to State-run bodies, hospitals and hotels. Kitty Holland, Irish Times, Online, 25th August, 2017

On Friday, August 25th, 2017, at the site of one of the last Magdalene Laundry (closed in 1996, on Sean McDermott Street, Dublin) the community came together to seek justice for the many victims of the Magdalene Laundry’s.  In attendance were a number of surviving victims  who bravely stood up and shared their experiences. The stories are heart breaking. Please take some time to see our videos of their moving stories.

Today, the Irish Government has recognised the need for reparations and recognition of the atrocities suffered by men, women and children across Ireland at the hands of the Church under the authority of the State.   But, it is not enough. At a bare minimum we are seeking that this Magdalene Laundry site host a decent memorial, so that this is not another atrocity minimized or wiped from our memories. We in HOPE support public consultation on the use of the site to be sold by Dublin City Council and in particular, we support a suitable memorial to the woman and children who suffered behind those walls.

Institutional Syndrome

Also known as ‘institutionalisation‘, refers to deficits or disabilities in social and life skills, which develop after a person has spent a long period living in residential institutions. In other words, individuals in institutions may be deprived (whether unintentionally or not) of independence and of responsibility, to the point that once they return to “outside life” they are often unable to manage many of its demands; it has also been argued that institutionalised individuals become psychologically more prone to mental health problems.

Direct Provision

With the closure of the industrial schools, magdalene asylums, and the mother & baby homes, it was thought that institutionalistion was to become a thing of the past. Instead, the institutional syndrome has shifted from one vulnrable group to another. Direct provision is the system for dealing with migrants seeking asylum in the Republic of Ireland.

Today, many asylum seekers in the State’s direct provision system spend years in conditions which most agree are damaging to the health, welfare and life-chances of those forced to endure them. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work. They are not entitled to social welfare. And they are excluded from social housing and free third-level education. In all, more than 4,300 people, including 1,600 children, live in 34 accommodation centres spread across the State. Carl O’Brien & Sinead O’Shea, The Irish Times Online, 8th August 2017

 

Irish institution survivors share their experiences. A compilation of video clips recorded at the rally for an Honourable Magdalene Memorial, Sean McDermott Street Magdalene Asylum (closed in 1996), Friday 25th August, 2017.

Support

If you have been affected by the contents of this article in anyway, please do feel free to reach out. H.O.P.E. is here to support the community in anyway we can. As well, for further support, please find some external links below:

Dublin Honours Magdalenshttps://www.facebook.com/dublinhonoursmagdalenes/

The Alliance Victim Support Grouphttp://www.alliancesupport.org/

Residential Institutions Redress Boardhttp://www.rirb.ie/

Towards Healinghttp://www.towardshealing.ie/index.html

Coalition of Mother & Baby Home Survivorshttps://www.facebook.com/Coalition-of-Mother-And-Baby-home-Survivors-CMABS-526069800892810/

Justice for Magdalene Laundrieshttp://www.magdalenelaundries.com/

Oasis Counsellinghttp://oasiscentre.ie/

The Irish Immigrant Support Centre – http://www.nascireland.org/campaigns-for-change/direct-provision/

Irish Refugee Council http://www.irishrefugeecouncil.ie/

About

Hands on Peer Education, is a front-line service in the north inner city, where those suffering with addiction and their families can get access to much needed support and treatment options. H.O.P.E. facilitates and advocates for recovery through abstinence. We also offer a wide range of advocacy services. H.O.P.E.’s free and confidential drop-in clinic is open from 10am ‘til 1pm, Monday to Friday.

Now that you’re here

We love to get feedback, it helps us improve our service to the community. If you have a minute, we would greatly appreciate it if you write a few words about our service. Follow the link below to see our reviews on Google. Click ‘write review’ on the right hand side to add your own.

https://goo.gl/BgznUi

Many thanks from the team in H.O.P.E.

‘Companies Act 2014’ Compliance

Companies Act 2014

In accordance with the Companies Act 2014, we have adopted the required changes in our constitution, incorporated status and subsequently, our company name. H.O.P.E., Hands On Peer Education is no longer ‘Limited By Guarantee’ and is now a ‘Dedicated Activity Company’.

The Companies Act 2014 was signed into law in December 2014 and was expected to commence on Monday, 1 June 2015. Until then, companies remained subject to the existing Companies Acts 1963 to 2013. The 2014 Act consolidates, with reforms, the 18 Acts and 15 statutory instruments from the past 50 years into one single piece of legislation.

With many, many thanks to A&L Goodbody, we have successfully made the transition and adopted the prescribed changes as required by the Companies Act, 2014.

With Thanks:

We would like to take this time to say thank you to A&L Goodbody for taking the time to support us with the legal requirements of complying with the Companies Act 2014.

The required changes demanded the arrangement of a massive volume of legal documentation – which is a huge workload for a small project. Thanks to the kind and gracious efforts of our neighbour, A&L Goodbody, we have successfully effected the changes required by the Companies Act 2014.

Specifically, we would like to say thank you to Sinéad Rooney & Mark Cusack of A&L Goodbody. For taking the time to arrange for, follow up on, prepare for and deliver the required legal documentation to facilitate this change in our organisation.

As such, we have been able to continue to focus on supporting the community and will continue focus on supporting the community break free from addiction.

About:

H.O.P.E.

Hands on Peer Education, is a front-line service in the north inner city, where those suffering with addiction and their families can get access to much needed support and treatment options. H.O.P.E. facilitates and advocates for recovery through abstinence. We also offer a wide range of advocacy services. H.O.P.E.’s free and confidential drop-in clinic is open from 10am ‘til 1pm, Monday to Friday.

A&L Goodbody

“A&L Goodbody has a reputation for providing legal advice of the highest quality available in Ireland, and internationally.

Our primary office is in Dublin. Together with our office in Belfast, we advise clients on an “all Ireland” basis. We advise on the most challenging and complex assignments, for national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and Government.

Our approach combines excellence of legal advice with commercial thinking. We consistently invest in and develop our business for the benefit of our clients.

We regard our people as our greatest asset and the embodiment of the Firm’s culture & values.

Founded in 1901 by Alfred and Lewis Goodbody, we are proud of our history and continue to maintain the values, principles and passion that have been the hallmarks of our Firm for more than 100 years.

Our ambition is to be consistently recognised by each of our clients as their best advisors. This is supported by the collaborative approach to our work, which we believe sets us apart.”

Now that you’re here…

We love to get feedback, it helps us improve our service to the community. If you have a minute, we would greatly appreciate it if you write a few words about our service. Follow the link below to see our reviews on Google. Click ‘write review’ on the right hand side to add your own.

https://goo.gl/BgznUi

Many thanks, from the team in H.O.P.E.

 

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.  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 🙂

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


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.

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 ‘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

 

Bloomersday – Bloomsday in the Monto

BLOOMSDAY IN THE MONTO; THEATRE IN THE PARK

Bloomsday in the Monto
Friday, 16th June 2017, 12pm
Eileen McLoughlin Park (Liberty Park), Foley Street, Dublin 1

join us for an afternoon of re-enactment and afternoon tea in the park

 

Dublin, Ireland: The North Inner City Folklore Project & H.O.P.E. will host Bloomsday in the ‘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.

Bloomsday Website Listing

Facebook Event Page

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.

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, “we’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

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Other Factsheets in this series:

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

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