Around 4000 people have walked from Drogheda’s Peace Bridge to the centre of the town, accompanied by the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and several party leaders, to give the message to those involved in drugs: ‘There is no place for you to live among us’. We want to take back control of our town from the […]

A new report into organised crime and criminal networks in areas around Dublin has discovered children as young as 10 years old being groomed for the drugs trade. In the areas between the Liberties and Walkinstown, many of the children used as runners and carriers are even considered expendable. The aim of the report Building […]

A task force in the west of Ireland is using Iceland’s model for reducing alcohol and drug abuse among teenagers. In Iceland 20 years ago, almost 25% of 15–16-year olds were smoking every day, more than 40% had got drunk in the past month and 17% had tried cannabis. In 2017, just 2% of that […]

Violence and intimidation by drug gangs has severely affected communities in Ireland and had a major impact on individuals, their families and the functioning of local services. This is the finding of Europol’s 2019 Drug Markets Report. The huge amount of money spent on drugs each year in Ireland makes it a major source of […]

The biggest increases in recorded drug crime countrywide are occurring outside of Dublin. Sizeable increases have been recorded in many locations in Cork, Kerry, Donegal, Sligo, Carlow, Louth, Mayo, Kildare and Westmeath. Garda sources believe higher disposable incomes among recreational drug users combined with a buoyant drugs trade are the main driver behind this rise […]

The Medical Council has warned that the over-prescribing of drugs is affecting the safety and wellbeing of Irish patients. The council is seeking to take action at national level, as it believes this issue is negatively affecting the safety of patients. It has warned that doctors who are caught over-prescribing benzodiazepines, z-drugs (sleeping tablets) and […]

A US basketball player was suspended after an attempt to cheat at a urine drug test backfired spectacularly. The 28-year-old’s urine sample was found to contain high levels of pregnancy hormone. Donell ‘DJ’ Cooper Jr had a successful career in Europe and had played for AS Monaco for 2 years. In 2017, he was named […]

The latest drug craze to have made its way from the USA is being blamed for the rise of violence on Irish streets. The synthetic drug Flakka, also known as gravel or bath salts, is a novel psychoactive substance (NPS) that can be smoked, injected or snorted. Users are said to become overwhelmed with an […]

The first person to be convicted of drug-driving in Ireland is a terminally-ill man who has to take over 20 tablets a day. Alan Croghan, a liver transplant patient, suffers from a number of illnesses and has less than 5 years to live. His conviction includes a 4-year road ban along with a €750 fine. […]

Chemsex is a type of drug use which has seen its popularity surge in recent months. The term describes the use of drugs such as gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), gamma butyrolactone (GBL), crystal methamphetamine, ketamine and mephedrone to enhance sexual activity. GHB and GBL are known colloquially as drug ‘G’. This recreational drug became popular around […]