NI's Drug Abusers Highlighted

Cannabis remains the drug of choice for Northern Ireland users.

A statistical bulletin detailing information on problem drug users presenting for treatment services in the year ending 31 March 2009 has been published.

The bulletin, published by the Department of Health, reports on information collected through the Northern Ireland Drug Misuse Database (DMD), which was established in April 2000.

It revealed that 1,755 individuals presented for treatment and gave their consent for their details to be included in the DMD.

This is compared to 1,984 the year before, a decrease of 229 individuals or 12%.

Cannabis was the most commonly reported main drug of misuse being reported by 39% of individuals in 2008/09 compared to 35% in 2007/08.

Benzodiazepines were the second most commonly reported main drug of misuse; they were reported by 22% of individuals in 2008/09 compared to 31% in 2007/08.

Cocaine (including crack cocaine) was the third most commonly reported main drug of misuse; it was reported by 11% of individuals in 2008/09 compared to 10% in 2007/08 and heroin was reported as the main drug of misuse by 8% of individuals in 2008/09 and in 2007/08.

Approximately two thirds (67%) of those who presented for treatment in 2008/09 and reported heroin as their main problem drug had been treated before and the proportion of individuals who had ever injected, at 10%, was the same in 2008/09 as it was in the previous year.

The new data also shows that the majority (72%) of individuals who presented were male and more than one fifth (21%) were aged 21 years and under.

It's a similar story in Scotland where the National and Local Prevalence of Problem Drug Misuse in Scotland report has just estimated that 55,328 individuals, aged 15-64, were misusing opiates and benzodiazepines during 2006.

See: Drugs Misuse 'Too Great To Ignore'

(BMcC/KMcA)