Last year, cannabis became the “most common problem drug” among new cases of people seeking treatment for drugs, surpassing even heroin.
The startling discovery was found in the Health Research Board’s report “Trends in treated problem drug use in Ireland 2005 to 2010”. It highlighted how the number of new cases entered into drug treatment programmes rose by a whopping 52 per cent in the six years covered by the report. People are getting high after the lows of the recession.
In 2010, 1,253 cases cited cannabis as their main problem drug compared to 1,172 who said opiates (heroin) were to blame. A total of 7,878 cases entered drug treatment in 2010.
Over the six years that the report covered, heroin was cited as the main problem drug (cannabis only having a strong surge in consumption in recent years). Around 61 per cent of cases entered treatment for heroin problems, while overall, 20 per cent of cases were thanks to cannabis and around 11 per cent of cases cited cocaine as the reason for seeking treatment.
However, 68 per cent of cases that entered treatment blamed more than one substance for needing help, with the most common mixed substances being cannabis, alcohol, cocaine and benzodiazepines (muscle relaxants).
Other interesting findings included in the report show that the numbers of people who entered treatment for cocaine and ecstasy peaked in 2007, while the average age of people seeking treatment now was 28.
The report is interesting as it shows there is a clear rise in the number of people seeking treatment for cannabis use, even though there is a widely held belief that you can’t become addicted to the substance. So remember kids, the only dealer you should ever know is your car dealer.
