The Adolescent Addiction Service (AAS) of the Health Service Executive (HSE) provides support and treatment in relation to alcohol and drug use for young people and families from the Dublin suburbs of Ballyfermot, Clondalkin, Palmerstown, Lucan, and Inchicore. Services provided include advice, assessment, counselling, family therapy, professional consultations, and medications if required. In 2023, AAS published a report detailing referrals for 2022.1

The annual report published by the Mental Health Information Systems Unit of the Health Research Board, Activities of Irish psychiatric units and hospitals 2021,1 shows that the rate of new admissions to inpatient care for alcohol disorders has decreased.

In 2021, some 758 cases were admitted to psychiatric facilities with an alcohol disorder, of whom 311 were treated for the first time. Figure 1 presents the rates of first admission between 2001 and 2021 for cases with a diagnosis of an alcohol disorder. The admission rate in 2021 was lower than the previous year and trends over time indicate an overall decline in first admissions. Just over one-third (35.2%) of cases hospitalised for an alcohol disorder in 2021 stayed under 1 week, while 29.8% of cases were hospitalised for between 1 and 3 months, similar to previous years.