The 2024 European Web Survey on Drugs (EWSD) took place across 35 European countries, including Ireland, from May to July 2024. The objective of the 2024 EWSD was to determine patterns of drug use among a convenience sample of people aged 18 years and over in Ireland who have used drugs in the past year. […]
Smile agus Sláinte, Ireland’s national oral health policy, aims to transform Ireland’s oral healthcare system by making services more accessible and focusing on prevention rather than just treatment. Oral health promotion supports this shift from acute intervention to preventive care. This overview of reviews presents evidence to inform the Department of Health on what types […]
This is the annual, updated bulletin from the National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS) on cases of treated problem alcohol use in Ireland. This bulletin includes a detailed summary of 8,798 cases treated for alcohol as a main problem in 2025. Trends cover a nine-year period 2017 to 2025.
BACKGROUND: The association between alcohol use and poor mental health is well known. Although psychiatric services and supports are typically delivered in community settings, some individuals require specialist inpatient care for alcohol-related disorders. For many, multiple admissions may be required, referred to as the ‘Revolving Door’ (RD) phenomenon. AIMS: This study examines alcohol-related admissions to […]
Bulletin from the National Ability Supports System (NASS) on data provided by disability service providers for people engaging with services through the HSE disability budget in 2025.
This is the annual, updated bulletin from the National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS) on cases of treated problem drug use (excluding alcohol) in Ireland. This bulletin includes a detailed summary of 15,422 cases treated for drug use as a main problem in 2025. Trends cover an nine-year period 2017 to 2025.
The HRB Strategy 2026-2030: Bringing research to life, is a five-year strategic plan that defines the aims, activities and outcomes of the organisation at a high level. Developed following a process of extensive engagement with stakeholders, the strategy sets out a clear direction for the HRB and is built around five interlinked and mutually supportive […]
Straitéis 2026-2030: Beocht a chur i dtaighde is ea an plean straitéise 5 bliana a chuireann in iúl go cinnte na haidhmeanna, na gníomhaíochtaí agus torthaí na heaghraíochta ag ard-leibhéal. Tugadh an plean chun críche taréis mórchuid teangmhála le geallsealbhóirí; leagann an straitéis amach bealach díreach don Bord Taighde Sláinte, ata tógtha timpeall ar chuspóirí […]
BACKGROUND: There are substantial inequalities in alcohol-related mortality related to individual-level education, income, and employment status, but less is known about the association between alcohol-related mortality and the geographic characteristics of an area. This systematic review aims to explore whether area-level features, including area-level measures of socioeconomic status, are associated with alcohol-attributable mortality. METHODS: We […]
Drugnet Ireland is the Health Research Board’s quarterly drug and alcohol research and policy newsletter. It provides summaries and analysis of recent publications and policy developments and well as overviews of particular issues relating to the drug and alcohol situation Ireland. Experts from the EUDA national focal point and from the HRB Evidence Centre contribute […]
Alcohol-related fatal fires represent a tragic but preventable death. Geographic features of these events can inform prevention campaigns and are important to consider in combination with other risk factors. This study aims to examine the factors associated with alcohol-related versus non-alcohol-related fatal fires, and to examine geographical characteristics of alcohol-related fatal fires in Ireland.
In this bulletin, data on deaths among people who were homeless and who died in 2022 are presented, along with a summary of deaths that occurred from 2019 to 2022. The NDRDI collects data on all deaths among people who were homeless at the time of death, to improve understanding of premature mortality among people […]
A review of European Union cancer research grants obtained by partners in Ireland using the Health Research Classification System (HRCS)
A supplement to Drugnet Ireland 93, February 2026
Drugnet Ireland is the Health Research Board’s quarterly drug and alcohol research and policy newsletter. It provides summaries and analysis of recent publications and policy developments and well as overviews of particular issues relating to the drug and alcohol situation Ireland. Experts from the EUDA national focal point and from the HRB Evidence Centre contribute […]
Objectives: Estimate the safety, financial and environmental impacts of reprocessing low and moderate risk single-use medical devices (SuMDs). Methods: Systematic review (PROSPERO ID: CRD42022365642) of primary studies of patients receiving reprocessed low and moderate risk SuMDs (non-critical and semi-critical medical devices a and b) versus first use of otherwise identical SuMDs. Items were sourced via database and […]
This year’s Health Research in Action highlights some of the many notable impacts and outcomes of our work. It includes a snapshot in numbers of recent work completed, followed by 22 success stories about wide-ranging health and social care research across five themes. The stories include HRB-funded projects about identifying when and how people experience […]
Data from the National Drug-Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) This NDRDI bulletin presents data on drug poisoning deaths in Ireland in 2022, with key trends for period 2013 to 2022. Drug poisoning deaths are deaths due to the toxic effects of one or more substances. Included in this bulletin are poisoning deaths due to illicit drugs […]
Background: Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) is a semi-synthetic cannabinoid which was marketed and sold openly in Ireland as a legal alternative to cannabis products until it was controlled in July 2025. There have been reports of psychotic illness precipitated by HHC use. Consequently, there are fears that HHC may become a public health issue. This study’s aim […]
This is a supplement to Drugnet 92. Drugnet Ireland is the Health Research Board’s quarterly drug and alcohol research and policy newsletter. It provides summaries and analysis of recent publications and policy developments and well as overviews of particular issues relating to the drug and alcohol situation Ireland. Experts from the EUDA national focal point […]
Drugnet Ireland is the Health Research Board’s quarterly drug and alcohol research and policy newsletter. It provides summaries and analysis of recent publications and policy developments and well as overviews of particular issues relating to the drug and alcohol situation Ireland. Experts from the EUDA national focal point and from the HRB Evidence Centre contribute […]
The HRB conducted a systematic review to synthesise evidence on the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of pharmacist prescribing. This systematic review provides policy-makers in the Department of Health with evidence related to the safety, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of pharmacist prescribing compared with other prescribing healthcare professionals across primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare settings. This evidence […]
The HRB conducted a systematic review to provide evidence on the effectiveness of public health interventions in reducing sunbed use and rates of skin cancer. This review was undertaken to inform policy-makers at the Department of Health in Ireland who are considering the development or revision of regulations relating to sunbed use. Skin cancer is […]
This publication can be read in conjunction with the following interactive gap maps Evidence and gap map 1: Interventions by health conditions: This map displays interventions as its rows and health conditions as its columns. It illustrates the available evidence on interventions that have been evaluated for all the selected health conditions. Evidence and gap […]
Background and aims: Alcohol and other drug use is common in early adulthood; however, research on contemporary polysubstance use patterns—defined as use of multiple psychoactive substances—and their associated factors is limited. This study aimed to identify groups with differing polysubstance use patterns and to examine associations with individual, family and socio-environmental factors. Design: This is […]