21 October 2008 - Drug use in Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland 2006/2007

Key Findings:

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

• Cocaine powder accounted for the majority of cocaine use. Crack cocaine use was very limited.
• Prevalence rates for cocaine powder and/or crack combined were higher among younger respondents - the lifetime prevalence rate for those aged 15-34 (9%) was approximately four times that for those aged 35-64 (2%).
• Male respondents reported higher prevalence rates for cocaine and/or crack combined than females across all time periods. The lifetime prevalence figure for males was 7% compared to 3% for females.
• The average age that respondents reported that they had first used cocaine powder was 22. The average age of first regular use was 23.
• Almost three quarters of recent users of cocaine powder had obtained it from someone known to them. Two fifths (40%) had been given cocaine powder by family or friends, just over one fifth (21%) said it had been shared amongst friends while 13% had bought it from a friend.
• Over half (56%) of recent users reported that cocaine powder was either ‘fairly easy’ or ‘very easy’ to obtain, while 30% said it was ‘fairly difficult’ or ‘very difficult’ to obtain.
• Of respondents who stated that they had ever taken cocaine powder, 8% said that they had used it regularly. All of these respondents who had used cocaine powder regularly said that they had stopped taking it.
• The vast majority (85%) of respondents who had never used cocaine powder or crack felt that there was a ‘great risk’ associated with trying these drugs once or twice. Whereas almost half (45%) of those who had used cocaine powder or crack felt that there was a ‘great risk’ associated with trying these drugs once or twice.

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

• The lifetime use of cocaine powder and/or crack (cocaine total) increased among all adults aged 15-64 from 1.6% in 2002/3 to 5.2% in 2006/7.
• Increases since the previous survey in the lifetime use of any form of cocaine were also found among males (from 2.8% to 7.4%), females (from 0.5% to 2.9%), young adults aged 15-34 years (from 2.9% to 9.1%) and older adults aged 35-64 years (from 0.6% to 2.3%),
• Last year use of any form of cocaine increased since 2002/3 among all adults aged 15-64 (from 0.5% to 1.9%), males (from 1.0% to 2.8%), females (from 0.1% to 0.9%), young adults aged 15-34 years (from 1.0% to 3.5%) and older adults aged 35-64 years (from 0.1% to 0.7%).
• There were no significant increases in last month use of cocaine powder and/or crack 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 cocaine and crack, 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 15-64 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 and Regional Drugs Task Force (Ireland) and Health and Social Services Boards (Northern Ireland) Results were published in June 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 is available from:

8. Media queries to DHSSPS Press Office on 028 9052 0571, or out of hours contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.