Latest news with #NationalDrugsStrategy
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Cocaine users are now older, better educated and more likely to be working
People accessing treatment for drug use are older, have a higher level of education and are more likely to be in employment than they were seven years ago, according to a new report published by the Department of Health . On Monday, the department will publish an independent evaluation of the National Drugs Strategy, which sought to treat drug use and addiction with a health-led approach. According to the report, which was conducted by Grant Thornton, there is a changing demographic of drug users in Ireland. The median age of those in treatment increased from 30 in 2017 to 34 years in 2024, the report said, while the proportion of all cases in paid employment increased from 14.3 per cent in 2017 to 21.8 per cent in 2024. READ MORE The proportion of cases who ceased education for the first time before the age of 16 decreased from 34.9 per cent in 2017 to 30.3 per cent in 2024. In 2024, 13,295 cases were treated, the highest annual figure to date, representing a 48 per cent increase since 2017. Cocaine surpassed opioids as the main problem drug reported by people seeking treatment, according to the review. In terms of overall drug prevalence, the proportion of adults who used drugs within the last year has remained stable at 7.3 per cent. The most commonly used drugs in the previous 12 months in order of prevalence were: cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, magic mushrooms and ketamine. Males and young people aged 15-24 years were most likely to use drugs over the past year. Higher rates of drug use were associated with being unemployed, having completed secondary level education only, being single and being Irish. The review of the Government's strategy was largely positive, highlighting how its implementation has improved data collection, expanded harm-reduction initiatives and allowed for Ireland to contribute to international research and co-operation. However, the report also highlights a number of challenges within the sector. There are disparities in access to harm-reduction services, particularly in rural areas and among marginalised groups, the report said. [ Ireland is becoming a country of moderate drinkers and voracious cocaine users Opens in new window ] Additionally, declining pharmacy engagement threatens the sustainability of needle exchange services, it added. The review team made 10 recommendations to overcome these challenges and guide 'the next phase of strategic development'. Minister of State Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy, said Ireland has 'made significant progress' in this area. 'I welcome the strong endorsement in the evaluation of the health-led response to drug use, including the proposed health diversion scheme for people found in possession of drugs for personal use,' she said. Ms Murnane O'Connor said there is a need to 'move forward with new policies and better services to address the ever-changing drugs situation'. As such, she has established a steering group to prepare a new national drugs strategy, with a deadline of the end of this year. [ Six months ago, he started taking cocaine in a more dedicated way. Things spiralled rapidly Opens in new window ]
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
'Young people and rural areas let down by lack of drug treatment and prevention services'
Concerns have been raised around access to drug treatment services and prevention efforts, according to an independent evaluation of the Government's drug strategy. Rural areas, young people, and marginalised groups are reported as being 'disproportionately affected' by service discrepancies. Meanwhile, the review found that annual funding arrangements and restrictive hiring policies have contributed to staff shortages and disruptions in service delivery. The national drug strategy (NDS) is set out as a national framework for addressing substance use through a 'whole-of-Government, person-centred, and health-led' approach that primarily frames substance use as a public health issue. An independent review of the strategy, published on Monday, has found that several stakeholders also believe prevention efforts are underdeveloped, inconsistent, and lacking national ownership. The report, compiled by Grant Thornton, notes some progress and achievements, but makes 10 recommendations for the future direction of the strategy. The 10 strategic recommendations Improve the right to health for people who use drugs, providing culturally-sensitive and appropriate services for all groups. Increase community engagement and involvement from people who use these services, ensuring that they are central to policy-making and service design. Align service delivery with regional priorities, working with Health Regions to ensure that the implementation of a future drugs strategy and allocation of resources are appropriate to the local population needs. Maintain and strengthen coordination and communication between the oversight structures of the National Drugs Strategy. Establish mechanisms for interdepartmental collaboration, reflecting the need for systemic alignment across housing, justice and health sectors. Continue to strengthen alternatives to coercive sanctions for those found in possession of drugs for personal use, such as the Health Diversion Scheme and community liaison roles. Ensure equitable access to peer-led recovery services and develop national standards for recovery pathways. Strengthen prevention and early intervention initiatives across sectors. Strengthen the integration of alcohol within the national drugs strategy, rolling out integrated treatment services to enhance service delivery. Invest in monitoring, evaluation and research systems to support evidence-based policy and accountability. The authors consulted with the HSE, the health research board, members of the national oversight committee and strategic implementation groups for the NDS, as well as service users and family members with experience of drug use. Based on those engagements, it found that equity of access continues to be a concern, particularly for marginalised groups. Prevention and early intervention efforts were found to be fragmented and inconsistently delivered, while recovery and service-user involvement requires further formalisation and resourcing. Additionally, the limited integration of alcohol policy and the 'gradual implementation of legal reforms', such as alternative sanctions, were identified as requiring strategic refinement. Governance structures Meanwhile, governance structures were found to lack clearly defined roles, mandates, and accountability mechanisms. Stakeholders highlighted the need for strong national leadership, enhanced co-ordination across departments, and more inclusive decision-making processes that incorporate lived experience of service users. There were also calls for enhanced data integration and the establishment of a national research and evaluation centre. The report also details claims of inconsistent reporting from all treatment providers, which is further constraining the ability to assess the strategy's effectiveness. Stakeholders reported that high attrition rates have been observed in different regions due to factors that include limited funding. Multi-annual funding There were repeated calls by some stakeholders for multi-annual funding commitments and targeted workforce investment to support more consistent and sustainable service provision. Prevention efforts were widely viewed as 'under-resourced and lacking strategic focus'. There was an emphasis on the need for early, community-based interventions that address root causes such as trauma, poverty, and social disadvantage. Evidence shows that early-life experiences significantly influence later substance use. The social, personal, and health education programme in schools was repeatedly cited for its inconsistent delivery. Alcohol addiction Many stakeholders also felt that the NDS lacked clarity and strategic direction regarding alcohol addiction. Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said it is 'essential' to assess how the more than €300 million in annual public expenditure on drugs delivers impact. She said: The establishment of new HSE health regions presents a valuable opportunity to tailor drug treatment services to population needs and to ensure that both existing and new funding is allocated effectively and transparently. Meanwhile, the minister of State with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, said: 'We have made significant progress in implementing the national drugs strategy, and I'm pleased that the independent evaluation documents the many achievements over the last eight years.' She added: 'The recommendations from the independent evaluation will inform the development of the successor National Drugs Strategy. "We need to move forward with new policies and better services to address the ever-changing drugs situation.'
Euractiv
30-06-2025
- Health
- Euractiv
Ireland launches long-term sexual health strategy amid rising STI rates
Ireland has unveiled a sweeping new National Sexual Health Strategy aimed at transforming access to sexual health services over the next decade, with a strong emphasis on prevention, equity, and integration across the healthcare system. The strategy, covering the period from 2025 to 2035, was launched by Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor. It sets out a comprehensive framework to address the evolving challenges of sexual health in Ireland, including rising rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), persistent stigma, and unequal access to care. 'This comprehensive Strategy reflects the evolving opportunities and challenges we face and outlines the steps we must take to ensure a healthier future for everyone, no matter their age, gender, orientation, ethnicity, or background,' said Carroll MacNeill at the launch. 'Our focus now is on continuing to develop and expand services that meet the needs of our population at every stage of life.' Access to services The strategy builds on the foundation of the 2015-2020 plan, which was extended during the Covid-19 pandemic. It introduces four core goals: promoting sexual health education, expanding equitable access to services, supporting reproductive choice, and strengthening surveillance and research. The first of three action plans, covering 2025–2028, was published alongside the strategy and outlines immediate implementation steps. Among the key measures are expanded access to contraception through the Free Contraception Scheme, increased availability of STI testing - including home testing kits - and enhanced support for HIV prevention and treatment, including Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). The strategy also commits to developing a new Model of Care for sexual health services, with a focus on geographic equity and integration into primary care. Murnane O'Connor described the strategy as 'a significant step forward in our efforts to protect and promote sexual health and wellbeing for everyone living in Ireland.' 'This Strategy reflects a modern, inclusive and evidence-based approach, one that empowers people with the information, access and support they need to make informed choices and avoid unnecessary risks, while supporting healthy relationships,' she said. Supporting justice sector The strategy also includes a commitment to support the Justice sector and Cuan in preventing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV), and to align with Ireland's international obligations under EU, UN, and WHO frameworks. The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) welcomed the strategy, highlighting the increasingly central role of community pharmacies in delivering sexual health services. 'As the most accessible healthcare providers, Irish community pharmacies play an increasingly important role in delivering sexual health services as part of community-based healthcare,' an IPU spokesperson said. Pharmacists already provide emergency contraception without prescription, dispense free contraception to women aged 17–35 under the HSE-funded scheme, and offer confidential consultations on STI prevention and treatment. They also dispense PrEP to eligible individuals and administer HPV vaccines privately to those aged 16–44. Empowering pharmacists The IPU said it was particularly encouraged by proposals to empower pharmacists to initiate and extend prescriptions for contraception and to dispense PEP, especially in rural or out-of-hours settings. 'This expanded role is welcomed and promises to enhance the sexual health services provided by pharmacies,' the spokesperson said. 'However, adequate resourcing is essential to ensure its success.' Europe's rising STI rates The strategy's publication comes amid growing concern across Europe about rising STI rates and uneven access to prevention and treatment services. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), infections such as gonorrhoea, syphilis, and chlamydia are increasing in nearly all EU/EEA countries, with significant variation in national responses. Northern and Western European countries - including Sweden, the Netherlands, and Germany - have led the way with comprehensive sexual education and robust public health campaigns. In contrast, several Southern and Eastern European nations continue to face cultural and financial barriers to implementing similar measures. Access to HIV prevention tools such as PrEP also varies widely. France, Germany, and Spain have established national programmes with strong uptake, while many Central and Eastern European countries lack formal initiatives due to regulatory or funding constraints. Surveillance systems are similarly inconsistent. Nordic countries maintain real-time data collection, while others struggle with underreporting and limited laboratory capacity. The ECDC has warned that antimicrobial resistance in gonorrhoea is an emerging threat and has called for greater harmonisation of policies and improved access to services across the bloc. Ireland's new strategy aligns with these EU-wide priorities, particularly in its emphasis on integrated care, expanded access, and data-driven policy. The government has committed to cross-sectoral collaboration and public engagement in shaping the next two action plans, due in 2028 and 2031. 'The urgency of coordinated action is clear,' said Professor Mary Horgan, Ireland's Interim Chief Medical Officer. 'Sexual health is a key part of overall health and wellbeing, but also of wider public health and of infection control.' With the publication of the National Sexual Health Strategy 2025–2035, Ireland has positioned itself at the forefront of a renewed European effort to address sexual health with clarity and inclusivity.
Agriland
19-06-2025
- Health
- Agriland
Farmers need to be ‘sun smart' to reduce skin cancer risk
With the sunny weather forecast in the coming days, the Health Service Executive (HSE) National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) and Healthy Ireland are reminding people that sun safety is not just for trips abroad. The sun can be strong enough to cause sun damage from the start of April to the end of September in Ireland, according to the HSE. Whether you're out in the fields, heading to the beach, grabbing a coffee or relaxing in the garden, it is important to use sun protection each day between April to September, even on cloudy days. Minister of State for public health, wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O'Connor said: 'Being active outdoors is good for our health and wellbeing, but everyone needs to be aware that exposure to the sun can be very harmful if we're not appropriately protected. 'I am encouraging everyone to take action to enjoy the sun safely and reduce their risk of skin cancer. It's very simple, just follow the five Healthy Ireland SunSmart steps whether you're at home or abroad. Your skin will thank you for it.' Skin cancer risk To reduce skin cancer risk, it is important to protect your skin when outside, especially from April to September when UV rays from the sun are strongest. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Ireland, with over 11,000 cases annually. Yet in most cases, skin cancers could be prevented, according to the HSE. Data from the National Cancer Registry of Ireland (NCRI) show that over 1,200 cases of melanoma, which is the most serious form of skin cancer, are diagnosed in Ireland every year. This figure is projected to rise to over 3,000 cases per year by 2045. Specialist in public health medicine at the HSE's NCCP, Dr. Breeda Neville said: 'Melanoma skin cancer is strongly linked to intermittent, high-intensity UV radiation exposure which can occur during outdoor recreational activities like sunbathing or water sports, or if you use a sunbed. 'The more time you spend unprotected in the sun, the more UV damage your skin is exposed to which increases your risk of skin cancer, including the deadliest form – melanoma. Follow the SunSmart 5 S's whether at home or abroad this summer.' Almost nine in 10 cases of skin cancer could be prevented by following the Healthy Ireland SunSmart 5 S's to protect your skin: Slip on clothing that covers your skin such as, long sleeves, collared t-shirts; on clothing that covers your skin such as, long sleeves, collared t-shirts; Slop on sunscreen – use sunscreen with SPF 30+ for adults and 50+ for children which provides high UVA protection and is water-resistant. Reapply regularly; on sunscreen – use sunscreen with SPF 30+ for adults and 50+ for children which provides high UVA protection and is water-resistant. Reapply regularly; Slap on a wide brimmed hat; on a wide brimmed hat; Seek shade – sit in the cover of trees to avoid direct sunlight. Use a sunshade on your buggy or pram. Keep babies and children out of direct sunlight; – sit in the cover of trees to avoid direct sunlight. Use a sunshade on your buggy or pram. Keep babies and children out of direct sunlight; Slide on wraparound sunglasses. As well as the 5 S's the HSE has said that it is important to remember not to deliberately try to get a suntan. Avoid getting a sunburn and never use a sunbed. Patient advocate for the 2025 SunSmart campaign, Jacinta O'Brien is raising awareness of the importance of skin protection: 'I was diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer when I was 38. I've had three surgeries, targeted treatment, immunotherapy and radiotherapy. 'While I feel that I was quite safe with the sun obviously being fair skinned, I do know that in my early 20s I was at many concerts and festivals and days out where I probably wasn't as good as I should be in applying sunscreen. 'When you're younger you think you're invincible and you don't think it's ever going to be you. You don't need to have prolonged exposure to the sun to get skin cancer. 'It's so important to sit in the shade where possible, cover up with clothing and apply sunscreen on exposed skin to protect yourself even when you do think it may be overcast.'
Extra.ie
15-06-2025
- Health
- Extra.ie
Sunbed salons ‘openly flout ban on youngsters'
One in five tanning salons is accepting minors in 'flagrant breaches' of the law, as cancer charities have warned that children as young as First Communion age are using sunbeds. It comes as new data obtained by points to a negligent attitude to customer health in the tanning industry, with one third of formal salon inspections having been failed in the past two years. Responding to the revelations, the minister responsible for public health this weekend pledged to further examine banning sunbeds, calling the level of non-compliance 'unacceptable'. According to the Public Health (Sunbeds) Act 2014, it is illegal for businesses to allow under-18s to use tanning beds. The UV-emitting machines have been shown to increase the risk of skin cancer after just a single use. One in five tanning salons is accepting minors in 'flagrant breaches' of the law, as cancer charities have warned that children as young as First Communion age are using sunbeds. Pic:According to the Department of Health, the risk of melanoma is increased by 75% when sunbed use starts before the age of 35. The HSE, responsible for enforcing the safety legislation, sends supervised minors to tanning salons for 'test shops' as part of its enforcement strategy. Last year, 11 out of 50 salons subjected to that test allowed minors to buy time on a sunbed, according to figures provided by the HSE. In 2023, nine out of 47 salons tested were prepared to allow a minor to use their business. Bernie Carter, who is assistant director of nursing at the Marie Keating Foundation and leads a schools' programme and skin cancer awareness programme for the charity, said that there is 'definitely' an issue with minors illegally using sunbeds. Ms Carter told Extra: 'I was outside a particular [tanning salon] around Holy Communion time last year. There was a parent who was walking in with a very young child. We had our van parked close by, and that young child did come out looking darker.' The experienced oncology nurse, who contributes to the National Cancer Control Programme, said sunbeds pose a 'huge risk when it comes to skin cancer', and pointed to the approach of Australia, where commercial tanning salons are banned. Steve Dempsey, director of advocacy and communications at the Irish Cancer Society, said regulations around sunbeds 'and a lack of enforcement mean that minors are still accessing sunbeds'. It comes as new data obtained by points to a negligent attitude to customer health in the tanning industry, with one third of formal salon inspections having been failed in the past two years. He told Extra: 'We know this from our own research and from parents who contact us to say their child has used sunbeds in flagrant breaches of the regulations by commercial sunbed operators.' A spokesman for Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, said she is 'deeply concerned by the data from the inspections'. The spokesman told Extra: 'Given the well-documented health risks associated with sunbed use, particularly for young people, this level of non-compliance is unacceptable. 'To address this issue, the minister, under the Programme for Government, has requested that officials in the Department of Health examine a ban on commercial sunbed use in Ireland. 'Additionally, the department will explore further public awareness campaigns to highlight the risks of sunbed use, especially targeting minors and their parents.' The lack of enforcement banning minors from using sunbeds was highlighted by Extra just over two years ago, when we reported just two salons in the entire country had been prosecuted under legislation introduced nine years previously. The HSE this weekend confirmed there have now been 10 prosecutions in total – less than one a year since the legislation was introduced. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has previously called for the banning of sunbeds, as have former health ministers Stephen Donnelly and the now Tánaiste Simon Harris. Pic:Ms Murnane O'Connor has also received representations on the matter from her former constituency colleague and now MEP Kathleen Funchion, and from Laura Warren, a skin cancer survivor and founder of Elite Living Nutrition, whose petition calling for a ban on sunbeds has collected almost 2,000 signatures. Pointing to the latest figures that show skin cancer is the fastest-growing cancer in Ireland, with over 13,000 new cases diagnosed each year, Ms Warren said: 'Melanoma can spread rapidly and is often deadly if not caught early. Banning sunbeds would save thousands of lives and millions in healthcare costs.' Aside from the tests at shops carried out with minors, the HSE conducts 'mystery shops' and formal inspections. Last year, 145 formal inspections out of 492 were non-compliant. In 2023, there were 175 non-compliant inspections from a total of 425. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has previously called for the banning of sunbeds, as have former health ministers Stephen Donnelly and the now Tánaiste Simon Harris.
