According to the Health Research Board’s (HRB) Drug treatment demand in Ireland 2025, 15,422 cases* were treated for problem drug use in Ireland during 2025.**
Cocaine remains Ireland’s most common drug treated (excluding alcohol), accounting for 42% of all drug treatment cases (6,535 cases). This is a 24% increase on 2024 (5,289 cases) and the highest number recorded to date.
In 2025, treatment demand for powder cocaine increased by 21% (834 cases), and for crack cocaine it increased by 31% (412 cases).
Cocaine also remains the main problem drug for over half of cases who are new to treatment (51%) and accounted for more than one in three previously treated cases in 2025 (3,421 cases).
Treatment demand for new psychoactive substances (NPS) rose 50% in 2025, representing an increase from 170 cases in 2024 to 256. NPS treatment cases have also seen an almost six-fold increase since 2020 (43 cases).
Commenting on the findings, HRB Chief Executive, Dr Gráinne Gorman, said:
“While this new report from the Health Research Board is further indication of the continued dominance of cocaine use in Irish society, it also represents increased investment in publicly funded drug treatment services, meaning they are available to more people that are struggling with problem drug use.
Furthermore, our report shows the emergence of some new trends, with rising treatment rates for new psychoactive substances and ketamine. This robust HRB data is essential for evidence-based policy and service planning now and into the future.”
Opioids (mainly heroin) were the second most commonly reported main problem drug people sought treatment for. The third most common was cannabis, similar to previous years.
Cocaine trends over time (2017 – 2025)
Since 2017 there has been a 336% increase in cases receiving treatment for cocaine as their main problem drug. Over this period, treatment demand for powder cocaine increased by 282%, while treatment demand for crack cocaine increased by 906%.
The number of females seeking treatment for cocaine has increased almost seven-fold from 284 cases in 2017 to 1,912 cases in 2025.
Emerging trends – largest year-on-year increase of NPS since 2017
The number of cases reporting an NPS as a main problem drug in 2025 was the largest year on year increase since 2017. Synthetic cannabinoid type NPS drugs, including Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), were reported most.
Ketamine, nitrous oxide and vaping
Treatment demand for ketamine also continued to increase in 2025, with 334 cases of problem use reported. This represents a twelve-fold increase in ketamine cases recorded since 2017 (27 cases).
130 of the 2025 cases identified ketamine as their main problem drug, which is more than double the number that did in 2024 (57 cases).
A small number of cases commenced treatment in 2025 for problem use of nitrous oxide, with over one half of these cases aged 17 or under.
In addition, the number of cases reporting vaping as a route of administration increased on 2024, most commonly in relation to the use of synthetic cannabinoids.
Dr Anne Marie Carew, Senior Researcher at the HRB, said:
“Many findings from our 2025 report are similar to 2024. For example, we see continued rise in demand for cocaine treatment. However, at the same time, we are seeing early signals of emerging drug trends, particularly for new psychoactive substances and ketamine.
“While numbers are still small, these trends are important and will be closely monitored. Identifying emerging trends like this really demonstrates the sensitivity of the data we collect in the HRB and its importance for policy makers and service planners to understand and effectively treat the changing face of problem drug use in Irish society.”
ENDS
For more information or interviews, please contact:
Suzanne Kenny, Health Research Board
e skenny@hrb.ie m +353 85 850 0494
NOTE TO EDITORS
Drug treatment demand in Ireland 2025 is the latest annually updated bulletin from the HRB’s National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS) on cases of treated problem drug use (excluding alcohol) in Ireland. It covers the nine-year period of 2017-2025.
*“Case” refers to a treatment episode and not one person. This means the same person could be counted more than once in a calendar year if they had more than one treatment episode that year.
** In 2025, 15,422 cases were treated for problem drug use (excluding alcohol). This represents an increase of 2,127 cases compared with 2024. Interpretation of these figures should take account of improved coverage of prison-based treatment reporting, which resulted in a substantial increase in recorded prison treatment cases and influenced trends relating to injecting behaviour, opioid treatment, and housing status. Treatment demand also rose across a range of service types and problem drugs, indicating sustained demand for drug treatment services.
- Powder versus crack cocaine: Profiles of people seeking treatment for powder and crack cocaine differ. Where powder cocaine was the main problem drug, more than one in five cases were female; 38% were employed; and the median age entering treatment was 32 years of age. Where crack cocaine was the main problem drug, four in 10 were female; 5% were employed; and the median age entering treatment was 40.
- Age and drug use: The drug treatment population continues to age, which has important implications for service provision, including the management of chronic health conditions and complex care needs. In 2025, the median age for those entering treatment was 35. Cannabis was the main problem drug for cases aged 19 or under; cocaine was the main problem drug for cases aged 20-44; and opioids were the main problem drugs for cases aged 45 years or over, which highlights the aging cohort of opioid users continuing to require treatment.
- Sociodemographic characteristics: Social disadvantage remains a persistent feature of treatment demand, with a substantial proportion of cases experiencing unemployment and homelessness, underlining the ongoing links between problem drug use and broader social and economic inequalities. Almost seven in ten cases (70%) were male. More than one in ten (12%) were homeless. Nearly six in 10 (59%) were unemployed (these proportions were affected by the inclusion of prison based treatment cases, which are recorded as ‘unable to work’), while one in five (21%) were in paid employment. The highest number of cases were recorded in the Health Service Executive Dublin and North East Health Region (5,104 cases).
- Polydrug use: Polydrug use remains common, with almost two thirds of cases reporting the use of more than one substance. Cannabis, cocaine, alcohol and benzodiazepines were the most frequently reported additional drugs.
About the Health Research Board
The Health Research Board (HRB) is Ireland’s lead funding agency supporting innovative health research and delivering data and evidence that improves people’s health and patient care. We are committed to putting people first, and ensuring data and evidence are used in policy and practice to overcome health challenges, advance health systems, and benefit society and economy.
