09 December 2008 - Drug use in Ireland and Northern Ireland 2006/2007

The Bulletin, ‘Drug Prevalence Survey: Cannabis Results’ was published jointly with the National Advisory Committee on Drugs in Ireland. It relates to a survey carried out jointly in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland between October 2006 and May 2007.

Key Findings:

The key findings relating to cannabis prevalence in Northern Ireland in 2006/07 are:

• Prevalence rates were highest among young adults. The lifetime prevalence rate for those aged 15-34 years was 35%. The last year prevalence rate for young adults (12%) was four times higher than for older adults aged 35-64 (3%) and the last month prevalence rate for young adults (4%) was twice that of older adults (2%).
• Male respondents reported higher prevalence rates than females across all time periods. The lifetime prevalence rate for males was 30% compared to 19% for females.
• The average age respondents reported that they first used cannabis was 18 years for males and 19 years for females. Among regular users, the average age of first use of cannabis was 16 years and the average age of first regular use was 18 years.
• Approximately one in six (16%) current cannabis users reported using the drug on a daily or almost daily basis.
  The majority of current users (85%) smoked cannabis in a joint.
• Grass (43%) was the most commonly used form of cannabis; however a third of current users (33%) reported using cannabis resin.
• More than a third (35%) of recent cannabis users reported the drug was shared among friends, with another 30% being given the drug by family/friends.
• Three quarters of recent users (75%) considered it ‘very easy’ or ‘fairly easy’ to obtain cannabis within a 24 hour period.
• Almost a quarter (24%) of respondents who said that they had ever taken cannabis reported taking the drug regularly. Of these regular users, almost three quarters (74%) said they had stopped taking cannabis, 13% had tried to stop but failed while another 13% had never tried to stop.

Northern Ireland comparisons between 2002/03 and 2006/07:

• Lifetime use of cannabis increased among all adults aged 15-64 from 16.8% in 2002/3 to 24.7% in 2006/7.
• Increases in lifetime use of cannabis were also found among males (from 23.3% to 30.1%), females (from 10.5% to 19.3%), young adults aged 15-34 years (from 25.1% to 35.0%) and older adults aged 35-64 years (from 10.3% to 17.3%).
• Last year use of cannabis increased among all adults aged 15-64 from 5.4% in 2002/3 to 7.2% in 2006/7.
• Increases in last year use were also seen among females (from 2.2% to 4.1%) and older adults aged 35-64 years (from 2.0% to 3.3%) between 2002/3 and 2006/7.
• There were no significant increases in last month use of cannabis among any of the groups of respondents.

Notes to Editors:

1. The main focus of the survey was to obtain prevalence rates for illegal drugs, including cannabis, on a lifetime (ever used), last year (recent use) and last month (current use) basis. Attitudinal and demographic information was also sought from respondents.

2. The questionnaire and methodology for this survey were based on best practice guidelines drawn up by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). The questionnaires were administered through face-to-face interviews with respondents aged between 15 and 64 normally resident in households in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

3. Fieldwork for the survey was carried out between October 2006 and May 2007 and the final achieved sample was 6,969 (4,967 in Ireland and 2,002 in Northern Ireland). The response rate for the survey was 65% in Ireland and 62% in Northern Ireland.

4. To maximise its representativeness of the general population the achieved sample was weighted by gender, age and former Health Board Area in Ireland; and gender, age and Health and Social Services Board area in Northern Ireland.

5. The first Drug Prevalence Survey was conducted in 2002/2003. When comparing the findings from the 2002/03 and 2006/07 surveys, only those changes that are statistically significant at least at the 5% level are reported.

6. First Results from the 2006/2007 Drug Prevalence Survey were published in January 2008, Regional Drugs Task Force (Ireland) and Health and Social Services Boards (Northern Ireland) Results were published in June 2008 and Cocaine Results were published in October 2008.

7. This publication is also available online at: http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/stats_research/public_health/statistics_and_research-drugs_alcohol-2.htm

Additional Information

Additional information is available from:

8. Media queries to DHSSPS Press Office on 02890 520571, or out of hours contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.