The Department of Health has published the 12th edition of Health in Ireland: Key trends 2019.¹ Using data from newly available sources, the report highlights selected trends in drug, alcohol, and tobacco consumption as well as the number of individuals entering treatment in Ireland for problem drug and alcohol use between 2009 and 2018.

The Blanchardstown Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force (BLDATF) is one of 14 local drug and alcohol task forces (LDATFs) established in 1997 in response to high levels of drug misuse within Irish communities. BLDATF is responsible for implementing the National Substance Misuse Strategy¹ and facilitating a more coordinated response in tackling drug and alcohol use and misuse in Dublin 15. In order to adapt and change services in a thorough and comprehensive manner, the Blanchardstown Drug and Alcohol Trends Monitoring System (DATMS) was established in 2015 to provide a better knowledge of drug-related harms in the area. The specific objective of DATMS is to establish an evidence base for drug use in Dublin 15 and use these data to inform local service provision.

A recent report documents Year 4 of DATMS.² The Year 1 reporting period began in June 2014; Year 2 began in June 2015; Year 3 relates to 2017; and Year 4 to 2018. The DATMS report employs a mixed-method design comprising primary and secondary data sources. Key findings from the report are discussed below.

The Judicial Council Act 2019 was enacted on 23 July 2019.¹ The Act provides for the establishment of a Judicial Council. The council, which will be an independent body, will promote and maintain excellence and high standards. In addition, it will provide a statutory basis for the training of judges and for the investigation of complaints against judges. Under the provisions of the Act, the Judicial Council will also be responsible for establishing several subcommittees.

A statutory instrument, SI No. 262/2019 – Misuse of Drugs (Prescription and Control of Supply of Cannabis for Medical Use) Regulations 2019, was signed on 26 June 2019. These regulations allow for the use of certain cannabis products for the treatment of persons with certain medical conditions when under the care of a medical consultant.

The Parole Act 2019 was enacted on 23 July 2019.¹ The purpose of the Act is to confer responsibility for granting parole upon an independent statutory body. It is divided into three parts. Part 1 addresses preliminary and general matters; Part 2 addresses the Parole Board, its powers, and compositions; and Part 3 deals with parole applications, guiding principles, and the parole process.

On 3 January 2020, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) published a provisional review of fatal collisions for 2019.^1,2 The report is the result of analysis of fatality data received from An Garda Síochána. The results in this analysis are provisional and may be subject to change. The report first provides an overview followed by more in-depth analysis by month of year; day of week; time of day; where fatalities occurred; age profile; road user type; and age profile by road user type. Drugs were not mentioned in this analysis.