A 2023 report grounded in women’s lived experiences of substance use in Ireland was launched by the then Minister for Justice Simon Harris TD on 30 March entitled, ‘You can’t fix this in six months’: Understanding the intersectionality of women’s substance use in the Irish context.1 The report highlights the complex nature of women’s substance use and the issues they face. It argues for female-only services that support motherhood and recognise the exploitation, trauma, and abuse many women who use substances experience (p. 19).1 The research, funded by the Irish Research Council New Foundations scheme, was carried out by a team from University College Dublin led by Dr Sarah Morton in partnership with Merchants Quay Ireland.

Background

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Ireland and alcohol use is estimated to be attributable to approximately 7% of breast cancer cases.1,2 Almost one-half of women in Ireland drink alcohol on a weekly basis (48%) and approximately one in five women report binge drinking on a typical drinking occasion (19%). However, despite alcohol being classified as a Group 1 carcinogen (cancer-causing) since 1988, many people appear unaware of this fact.3,4

Background

Minimum unit pricing (MUP) of £0.50 sterling per unit (10 ml or 8 g) was introduced in Scotland in 2018 in response to health harms from alcohol being disproportionately higher in Scotland compared with the rest of the United Kingdom, especially so in areas of deprivation. MUP is a measure recommended by the World Health Organization as a ‘best buy’ to reduce alcohol-related harms. As it targets those who buy the cheapest alcohol who are typically the heaviest drinkers, it has the potential to reduce inequalities of alcohol-related harms.1,2 Three years after implementation, MUP resulted in a 3% reduction in alcohol sales in Scotland, most evident in households that before MUP had purchased the most alcohol.1 A 2023 study to examine the impact of MUP on alcohol-related deaths and hospitalisations wholly attributable to alcohol use compared time periods before and after the introduction of MUP.3

Background

A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to examine the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) on alcohol-related hospitalisations.1 The review also sought to determine if MUP had an effect on length of hospital stay for alcohol-related conditions, on hospital mortality, and for alcohol-related liver disease. Given that the costs of alcohol-related hospitalisations on the Irish healthcare system are estimated at €1.5 billion (in 2012) and the high levels of alcohol use in Ireland, legislation to reduce alcohol use and related harms were introduced in 2018.2–4 A component of this legislation, the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018, is MUP, set at €1.00 per standard drink or per 10 g of alcohol. Ireland is one of the few countries globally to introduce such a measure, as well as certain provinces in Canada; Northern Territory, Australia; Scotland; Wales; Jersey; Armenia; Belarus; Kyrgyzstan; Moldova; Russia; Ukraine; and Uzbekistan.5

Background

Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is considered a common treatment for opiate- dependent people across Europe and especially in Ireland. As MMT services cater for vulnerable populations, a human-rights-focused approach can assist in shaping and framing processes to provide more equality and access to services. A 2022 qualitative study1 looked at how to better understand the human-rights perspective in relation to people accessing MMT services in Ireland.