Crack cocaine in the Dublin region - Health Research Board

Prevalence of crack use among homeless peopleLawless and Corr (2005) at Merchants Quay Ireland assessed the nature, extent andexperience of alcohol and drug use among people who were homeless in four citiesin Ireland – Cork, Dublin, Galway and Limerick – between June and October 2003. 12In Dublin, the sample was selected using a quota sampling based on gender, age andprimary accommodation type, while in Cork, Galway and Limerick the quota samplewas based on primary accommodation. The majority (247, 70%) of the sample wasrecruited in Dublin and the remainder (108, 30%) was recruited in the other three cities.Of the 355 participants, 19% had used crack cocaine at some point in their life and 3%were using crack cocaine in the month prior to the survey.Nature and extent of crack use among TravellersIn 2005, Professor Jane Fountain of the University of Central Lancashire assessed thenature and extent of illicit drug use in the Traveller community in Ireland (Fountain2006). The qualitative information presented in this report indicates that crack cocainewas rarely used by the Traveller population.Pilot national drug trend monitoring reportThe national drug trend monitoring system pilot study investigated emerging nationaldrug use patterns in Ireland by collecting information from 156 drug workers who hadregular contact with drug users in October 2004 (NACD 2007a). Just under one-third(32%) of drug workers reported that crack cocaine was used by their clients, and justover a half of these reported an increase in its use by their clients. Crack cocaine wasalso identified by 10 respondents as being a newly available drug in their area in theprevious 12 months.Nature and extent of crack use among attendees at harm reduction andtreatmentIn an unpublished analysis, 15 of 28 needle-exchange services’ representativesin Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow reported that crack cocaine was the fourth mostcommon drug used by needle and syringe-exchange attendees in 2007. The routesof administration for crack were either through injecting or smoking. Three servicesreported an increase in the combined use of cocaine and heroin. This involved eithersmoking crack cocaine or injecting powder cocaine and the subsequent use of herointo ‘bring clients down’ from the cocaine-related high (J Robinson, HRB, personalcommunication, 2008).12 Merchants Quay Ireland is a voluntary organisation providing a wide range of services to people who arehomeless and for drug users.Crack cocaine in the Dublin region: an evidence base for a crack cocaine strategy35