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Dublin Drug Policy Summit
by Lucy Dillon
The Dublin Drug Policy Summit was held on 20 January 2017. It was organised by the Ana Liffey Drug Project and attended by national and international experts on drug policy, including policy-makers, practitioners, and academics. Among the delegates were Minister of State for Communities and the National Drugs Strategy Catherine Byrne TD and Ruth Dreifuss, chair of the Global Commission on Drug Policy (GCDP).1 The summit focused on two issues: supervised injecting facilities and the decriminalisation of possession of drugs for personal use. This article is based on the published proceedings of the event, which present a thematic analysis of the issues discussed.2,3
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Rapid expert review of Ireland’s National Drugs Strategy
by Lucy Dillon
The Report of the rapid expert review of the National Drugs Strategy 2009−2016 was completed in August 2016.4 It aimed ‘to inform the development of the next National Drugs Strategy by providing a “helicopter view” of and capturing some key learning points from the experiences of the National Drugs Strategy 2009−2016’ (p. 1). The review highlights the complexities involved in developing a drugs strategy in a landscape that is always evolving and in which ‘articulation between social, criminal, and health policy areas is vital’.
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Cannabis for medical use: a scientific review
by Lucy Dillon
Cannabis for medical use:a scientific review1 was launched by Minister for Health Simon Harris TD on 10 February 2017. He described the review as a ‘milestone’ in the development of policy on medicinal cannabis in Ireland.2 The review was carried out by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) in response to a request from the Minister in November 2016 for expert scientific advice on the use of cannabis for medical purposes.
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Irish GP attitudes towards decriminalisation and medical use of cannabis
by Ciara Guiney
The debate on the decriminalisation of cannabis and legalising cannabis for medicinal use has been ongoing in Ireland and abroad. Despite this, the topic has received scant attention in the research literature. A ‘unique’ and recent study carried out in Ireland aimed to build on existing interest in this area by examining the attitudes of Irish general practitioners (GPs) towards decriminalisation and the medicinal use of cannabis (n=565).1,2
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Beyond UNGASS
by Lucy Dillon
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) is the governing body of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Essentially, it is the central drug policy-making body of the United Nations. Membership is made up of representatives from 53 UN member states, allowing for a spread of geographical representation. Ireland is not currently a member. The CND led the preparations for the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the world drug problem held in 2016 and led negotiations on the associated outcome document.1 While that document was heavily criticised by some stakeholders, it was also seen as indicating a more progressive direction in terms of putting health, human rights, and development more at the core of drug policy.2
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Drug supply reduction: an overview of EU policies and measures
by Ciara Guiney
In January 2017, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) published Drug supply reduction: an overview of EU policies and measures.1 This is an introductory guide to the European Union’s (EU) approach to drug supply reduction. A number of different strategies were presented. Policy areas
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Drug treatment figures from the NDTRS, 2009‒2015
by Suzi Lyons
The National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS) has published its latest figures on treated problem drug use (excluding alcohol).1 In the seven-year period 2009‒2015, 61,439 cases were treated for problem drug use (excluding alcohol). The number of cases rose from 7479 in 2009 to 9892 in 2015. For the first time data from treatment in prison is included in annual figures. Of note, the data now include those cases with no fixed abode, no known address, or an address outside Ireland, in all tables, which were excluded from previous publications. Therefore, the data in this bulletin supersede all previously published data from NDTRS trend papers and web updates.
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A typology of alcohol consumption among university students in Ireland
by Sean Millar
Elevated levels of alcohol consumption among university students are well documented, with research indicating a rise in alcohol use among students in Ireland and increasing levels of high-risk drinking.1 Policy-makers have attempted to combat this problem, as tailoring effective public health policy is crucial to tackling this burgeoning issue. Recently, typologies have been hypothesised as a pertinent public health tool. While traditional analysis methods tend to categorise individuals based on consumption profile alone, a typology approach may enhance an understanding of a societal phenomenon while making it possible to note patterns.
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