Cocaine is linked with just under 60 per cent of all cases of drug-related intimidation in Ireland, according to the country’s first ever national report on the issue.
Drug-related intimidation (DRI) is a ‘pervasive and under-reported form of criminal activity that affects individuals, families and communities’, the report states. However, fear of reprisals, living in proximity to the intimidators, stigma, and limited awareness of available support mean that it is often not reported to the authorities.
There were 1,027 cases of DRI among people engaged with drug and/or family support services in Ireland last year, the document says. All age groups – ranging from the under-18s to the over-50s – were affected, although the majority of cases were in the 20-44 age group. Two thirds of the cases related to threats to individuals, and a quarter related to threats to family, while debts associated with DRI could be more than €10,000 or as little as €100. Around two thirds of cases were related to personal drug use and 28 per cent related to another person’s drug use, while a third of people reported suffering intimidation for more than a year.
‘A consistent pattern of harms is evident, ranging from verbal threats and property damage to physical violence, coercion into drug distribution, and sexual exploitation,’ says the report. ‘Those impacted by DRI include people who use drugs as well as their family members, partners, and their wider community, reflecting the broader social reach of intimidation linked to drug debt and criminal activity.’
DRI was reported across the country, with Dublin accounting for more than 40 per cent of cases. The data was collected using the Irish Health Research Board’s (HRB) National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS) on behalf of the DRIVE (Drug Related Intimidation and Violence Engagement) project. The report calls for enhanced prevention and community level interventions, as well as more support for those affected.
A 2022 report from HRB warned that Ireland had reached a ‘tipping point’ regarding problem cocaine use, with the drug overtaking heroin as the main problem drug for people seeking treatment for the first time. The number of people entering treatment for cocaine tripled between 2015 and 2021, with women accounting for one in four cases reporting cocaine as their main problem drug – compared to one in five pre-2020. A report from the Insight Crime think tank earlier this month stated that the market for cocaine in Europe was ‘now the biggest in the world and still growing’, with record seizures across the continent.
‘This first data report from the DRIVE project confirms the lived experiences of people affected by drug-related intimidation in Ireland,’ said Dr Suzi Lyons of the national DRIVE oversight committee. ‘It shows that drug-related intimidation affects everyone, both old and young, families, friends and the wider community. Ireland is leading the way in systematically capturing the evidence as it is embedded in the Health Research Board’s national system, which will inform the integrated, coordinated, community-based response to the harms of DRI.’
‘Drug-related intimidation is very insidious and frightening,’ added drugs minister Murnane O’Connor. ‘We want people who are affected by this to know that they are not alone. As this report demonstrates, this is an issue affecting every community and people from all walks of life. Local drug and alcohol task forces can put you in touch with a range of confidential services and supports in your local community and Gardaí are on hand to offer advice without the need to make formal complaints.’
Meanwhile, although new figures show a 2 per cent decrease in per capita alcohol consumption in Ireland ‘some important realities are hidden in the data’ says Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI), with those who do drink ‘drinking more, and in a more hazardous manner – which is a perfect storm for alcohol harms’.
‘While we welcome the reduction in consumption per capita, we get a very different picture when we look at the per drinker data which is more relevant for harms analysis,’ said AAI CEO Dr Sheila Gilheany. ‘This data equates to every drinker aged 15 and over in Ireland drinking on average 257 cans of beer, 11 bottles of spirits, 41 bottles of wine and 32 cans of cider a year. Hazardous drinking is normalised in Ireland. In fact, Ireland has the second highest level of binge drinking across the OECD, with HRB reporting that binge drinking among low- to moderate-risk drinkers accounts for most alcohol-related harm.’
Drug-related intimidation in Ireland: the first data report from the national DRIVE project available here