25th April 2025

Crackdown on legal semi-synthetic cannabis planned, but no public information campaign on risks

24th April 2025

Minister Murnane O’Connor announces €1.89 million funding for community-based drugs services

The Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD, has announced an additional €1.89 million in recurring funding to further enhance community-based drug services. Through the Community Services Enhancement Fund, the additional funding will support drug services to meet increased treatment demand, with a focus on improving access to services in underserved communities, promoting evidence-based innovations in service design and delivery, and meeting the needs of people who use stimulant drugs. Community addiction rehab and treatment are essential to local communities.

Read the Gov.ie press release Here

23rd April 2025

Gambling problems are mushrooming. Panel says we need to act now

Problems with gambling issues have surged over the past half-dozen years with the rise of legalized sports betting and 24-hour online casino games. It’s gotten to the point where some researchers say something needs to be done now — and there are remedies. That was the conclusion of a panel of public health and gambling experts gathered at a Zoom Panel moderated by WBZ-TV journalist Laura Haefeli and hosted by the Studio at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. It is hugely important that people who are becoming dependent on gambling are provided with the therapeutic addiction rehab and treatment tools to overcome their problems.

Read the news.harvard,edu article Here

22nd April 2025

Benzodiazepines: What to Know About the Anti-Anxiety Medication

Yale addiction specialists believe the primary care system can play a key role in managing benzodiazepine use. Imagine you have the kind of crippling, heart-pounding anxiety where you’re lying sleepless in bed at night, thoughts racing. You feel paralyzed at work because every decision feels like one that will get you fired. You’ve tried everything from anti-anxiety medications to therapy, but nothing helps. Benzodiazepine dependence requires appropriate addiction rehab and treatment interventions.

Read the Yale Medicine news article Here

21st April 2025

VCU researchers are developing a long-acting medication for opioid addiction

As the United States grapples with an unrelenting opioid crisis, researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University have reformulated an opioid use disorder medication in a way that could extend its therapeutic effect – and offer a longer-lasting pharmaceutical therapy for treating opioid addiction. In 2023, more than 150 people died every day on average from opioid overdose in the U.S. A number of medications help curb opioid addiction, but several barriers can interfere with a patient’s path to recovery, such as strict regulations, adverse side effects and limited access to treatment clinics.

Read the news.vcu.edu article Here

18th April 2025

Problem gamblers and their families asked to give their views on tackling gambling harm in Ireland

People who have suffered from a gambling addiction and their families have been urged to give their take on a new statutory fund aimed at tackling gambling harm in Ireland. The Social Impact Fund, set up by the newly-established Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, will raise money through a levy on gambling companies based on their turnover. This money will then be used to support educational and awareness initiatives, research and training, as well as treatment for those affected by problem gambling.

Read the Irish Examiner article Here

17th April 2025

HRB reports a continued decline in problem opioid use among younger people

The report, which was published today, also finds a sustained rise in use among older people. In 2022, it was estimated that approximately 19,460 people in Ireland had problem opioid use. The report finds that use among 15-34-year-olds continues to decline, while levels of problem opioid use among people aged 35-64 have increased, with over three-in-four problem opioid users in this category. Commenting on the report, lead author Dr Michael Hanrahan, who was commissioned by the HRB to conduct this research at University College Cork, said. Harm reduction services  and opioid substitution treatment are important interventions for people who use opioids.

Read the HRB article Here

16th April 2025

Experimental medication helps treat cocaine addiction

An experimental medication targeting reward pathways in the brain helps people addicted to cocaine reduce their drug use – and could treat other substance use disorders, too. Medications are available to treat alcoholism and opioid use disorder, but none are approved for addictions to stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine. These drugs contribute to roughly half of all overdose deaths in the US. This underscores the need to find new ways of delivering drug addiction rehab and treatment to sufferers.

Read the New Scientist article Here

15th April 2025

How alcohol addiction can affect young people

Alcohol addiction has been covered on the show before, but it is important to remember that people of any age could find themselves having issues with drinking. A convention is being held in Ennistymon, Co. Clare in the coming weeks which will focus on young people in Alcoholics Anonymous. Andrea is joined by organiser Niamh as well as some young people who have had problems with alcohol to discuss. Early intervention with alcohol rehab and treatment is essential to reduce the risk of alcohol dependence in young people.

Listen to the Newstalk article Here

14th April 2025

EASL calls on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to defend alcohol labelling regulations and put public health first

The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) is calling on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to reaffirm Ireland’s commitment to its world-leading alcohol labelling regulations and to reject calls for any further examination or delay of their implementation, currently scheduled for May 2026. In a letter sent to the Taoiseach this week, EASL expressed deep concern over recent comments by Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and lobbying efforts from the alcohol industry—particularly through IBEC and Drinks Ireland—aimed at postponing or weakening the Public Health Alcohol Labelling Regulations of 2023. The Public Health alcohol Bill as well as addiction treatment and rehab services are essential components of a good, practical alcohol policy.

Read the eusl.eu article Here

11th April 2025

Recovering gambling addict says he placed first bet as child

A recovering gambling addict has said he placed his first bet when he was aged between six and eight years old, and his gambling “spiralled” out of control as a young adult. Chris Joyce, from Knocknacarra in Galway, is more than six years in recovery from gambling and alcohol addiction. “I was aged between six and eight. It would have been quite a small bet on the (Aintree) Grand National,” the 31-year-old told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland. Problematic gambling is a pervasive issue which requires readily accessible gambling addiction rehab and treatment services.

Read the RTE.ie article Here

10th April 2025

Tracking the world’s major cocaine route to Europe – and why it’s growing

“The Albanian mafia would call me and say: ‘We want to send 500kg of drugs.’ If you don’t accept, they kill you.”César (not his real name) is a member of the Latin Kings, a criminal drug gang in Ecuador. He was recruited by a corrupt counternarcotics police officer to work for the Albanian mafia, one of Europe’s most prolific cocaine trafficking networks. The Albanian mafia has expanded its presence in Ecuador in recent years, drawn by key trafficking routes through the country, and it now controls much of the cocaine flow from South America to Europe. Cocaine addiction is a pervasive problem which requires timely access to addiction rehab and treatment services.

Read the BBC News article Here

9th April 2025

Record numbers contact HSE drug helpline with increase in calls about alcohol and cocaine

A record number of people are contacting the HSE’s Drugs and Alcohol Helpline with a large and consistent increase in calls about both alcohol and cocaine. The latest annual report of the helpline, which also provides information about HIV and sexual health, shows that almost 6,000 calls were handled by the service in 2023. Alcohol and cocaine addiction in Ireland is a common problem which required tailored addiction treatment approaches.

Read the Breaknews.ie article Here

8th April 2025

Press release: Taoiseach must rule out alcohol labelling ‘examination’

Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI), the national independent advocate to reduce alcohol harm, notes with dismay and concern recent comments by Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe that Ireland’s hard-won world leading health information labelling of alcohol products needs to be “examined again”, and calls on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to defend public health over vested interests by explicitly ruling this out. Alcohol addiction in Ireland is a pervasive problem and the alcohol policies need protect public health.

Read the Alcohol Ireland press release Here

7th April 2025

Advertising zero-alcohol drinks ‘flagrant breach’ of laws, campaign group claims

Advertising alcohol-free versions of alcoholic drinks at sports events, on public transport and near schools is a “flagrant breach” of the intention of laws that restrict marketing of alcohol products to children, a campaign group has said. On Wednesday, Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) launched a campaign entitled “Time to Close the L0.0phole, Minister”, calling for an amendment to the Public Health (Alcohol) Act to ensure marketing restrictions are applied on zero-alcohol products. MUP and restrictions is advertising as well as alcohol addiction and rehab treatment services are vital components of a thorough and practical national alcohol policy.

Read the Irish Times article Here

4th April 2025

Non-compliant vapes sold by over 20% of retailers inspected by HSE

Over 20% of vape retailers inspected by the HSE last year were found to be selling non-compliant products. Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act show that of the 249 inspections carried out in 2024, 55 retailers were selling vapes which breach strict EU regulations. Compliance checks also uncovered a number of retailers flouting a ban on the sale of vapes to under-18s. E-cigarettes have a key role in helping smokers quit a lifelong addiction and it is important that they have ready access to them, whilst protecting under 18s from inappropriate use.

Read The Journal.ie article Here

3rd April 2025

An effective and humane approach to drug policies

“The so-called War on Drugs has destroyed countless lives and damaged entire communities. These policies are simply not working, and we are failing some of the most vulnerable groups in our societies,” UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said at a recent speech on global drug policies. For decades, governments have adopted a largely punitive approach to control narcotic drugs. UN experts say the results have been catastrophic, and cite some of the harmful consequences.

Read the United Nations Human Rights article Here

2nd April 2025

Reducing Ireland’s alcohol consumption a key strategy for reducing domestic violence

With domestic violence incidents reported to gardai showing a 10% year-on-year rise since 2021 to more than 65,000 cases last year, Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI), the national independent advocate to reduce alcohol harm, notes with concern the continued lack of movement by government to legislate for the introduction of Operation Encompass, despite it being a recommendation in the 3rd National Strategy for Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (DSGBV) which was published back in 2022.

Read the Alcohol Ireland article Here

1st April 2025

‘Addiction swallowed up 15 years of my life’

When her relationship broke down at the age of 27, Tanya started drinking. It began a downward spiral of drug and alcohol addiction that took 15 years for her to escape. She took to street drinking, and begging outside supermarkets. Her house became a squat and her young daughter was brought up by the child’s grandmother. Now 45, Tanya, from Cambridge, says she has never been happier thanks to her own willpower, and help from a family support project funded by Comic Relief. She has been in recovery for seven years and has another child, a young daughter. People with alcohol problems require timely interventions with alcohol rehab and treatment services

Read the BBC News article Here

31st March 2025

Silent epidemic of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder ‘coming down the road at us fast and furiously’

The Government is being urged to recognise foetal alcohol spectrum disorder as a disability by a support group which warns it is a silent epidemic “coming down the road at us fast and furiously”. In recent answers to parliamentary questions about the disorder, Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities, Hildegarde Naughton, said that FASD is not deemed a disability in Ireland and said responsibility for it falls under the Department of Health’s (DOH) Health and Wellbeing unit. Pregnant women at risk of problematic alcohol use need appropriate addiction rehab and treatment services.

Read the Irish Examiner article Here

28th March 2025

South American cartels using ‘narco subs’ to smuggle drugs into Europe, warns former garda

South American drug cartels are sending semi-submersible vessels to Europe that are “bigger and better”, a former senior garda and ex-head of an EU drug interdiction agency has said. Michael O’Sullivan said that while these “narco subs” have only so far been detected off Spain and in the Atlantic, it was possible cocaine cartels could send one to Ireland — adding they might have already done so. This probably reflects the fact that the War on Drugs in unwinnable and that cartels are devising more innovative ways to evade detection. The Citizens Assembly on Drug Use in 2023 made recommendation for a health led approach to drug use and addiction and with more resources put into addiction treatment and rehab and keeping the person out, where possible, of the criminal justice system.

Read the Irish Examiner article Here

27th March 2025

‘I was a rich footballer – and a gambling addict’

“When I couldn’t play football because of injury, I’d be sat on my settee. I’d have boredom, I’d have time – and I’d have the money. That’s when the bets escalated and I was totally out of control,” says a former professional footballer. Dean Sturridge, born in Birmingham, was a successful striker, notably playing in the Premier League for Derby County, Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, as well as having spells at Sheffield United and Kidderminster Harriers. Luckily, Sturridge found help through a gambling addiction rehab and treatment programme and has been over 5 years in recovery.

Read the BBC News article Here

26th March 2025

Teens presenting at EDs with psychosis from legal, semi-synthentic cannabis vaping product, says leading psychiatrist

An increasing number of teenagers are presenting to hospital emergency departments (EDs) experiencing psychosis induced by legally available, semi-synthetic cannabis vaping products, a leading psychiatrist has said. Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) is a new semi-synthetic cannabinoid product that is chemically like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive substance found in cannabis that produces a “high”. There is great debate as how best to regulate or legislate cannabinoids with a very close call when the Citizens Assembly were split down the middle on the subject with a single vote in favour of continued prohibition. Obviously, sound cannabis laws as well as aceasy access to addiction rehab services are important in reducing the harms of cannabis addiction.

Read the Irish Examiner article Here

25th March 2025

24th March 2025

Report examines non-fatal overdoses over ten years in Dublin’s North Inner City

21st March 2025

Anthony Hopkins details ‘fatal day’ that led to 49 years of sobriety

Anthony Hopkins has reflected on the “fatal day” he realised he needed help with alcohol addiction. The 86-year-old Silence of the Lambs actor shared his thoughts online in which he celebrated another milestone year of sobriety, and offered a hopeful message for those struggling with alcoholism. He described at age 37 his life, where he was driving drunk and “couldn’t remember anything”. With high alcohol addiction support, treatment and rehab he made a full recovery.

Read the Independent.co.uk article Here

20th March 2025

Experts say recreational use of benzodiazepine medication Xanax is increasing among young people

Educators and medical professionals say they’ve witnessed an increase in the pharmaceutical benzodiazepine Xanax being used recreationally by young Australians. The Penington Institute says a growing black market for the medication, as well as imitations of the drug laced with synthetic opioids, is putting lives at risk. It is pivotally important that sedative addiction rehab and treatment services are readily available for people who develop problematic benzodiazepine use.

Read the ABC.net News article Here

19th March 2025

Professor Colin O’Gara on Prime Time: The Impact of Gambling

Professor Colin O’Gara, Head of Addiction Services at St John of God Hospital, joined Prime Time on RTÉ One to discuss the growing impact of gambling. He highlighted how the accessibility of online gambling has intensified addiction, making this highly addictive process available to the masses. This has resulted in a greater need for gambling addiction rehab and treatment services.

Watch the full discussion to learn more about the risks, challenges, and the urgent need for awareness and intervention Here

18th March 2025

No timeline in place to activate new strict gambling regulations

agreed timeline in place to activate new, strict gambling regulations despite a watchdog agency for the industry being established by the government this month, The Journal has learned. This means the majority of global gambling companies set up in Ireland, some of which turned over billions of euro in profit last year, are not legally required to follow any new laws and remain, largely, unregulated. This is not good news for people and their families dealing with addiction and strong gambling legislation as well as addiction rehab and treatment is important to support people with Gambling use disorder.

Read The Journal news article Here

17th March 2025

Psychologist on signs of a gambling addiction as March Madness tournament begins

Dr. Alice Connors-Kellgren, a psychologist at Tufts Medical Center discusses the signs that some has a gambling addiction as the March Madness basketball tournament starts.

Watch the video Here

14th March 2025

‘Running helped me overcome alcohol addiction’

DJ whose excessive drinking caused him to hit “rock bottom” has said a love of running helped him turn his life around. John Dixon, 43, from Wolverhampton, said he resolved to give up alcohol 18 months ago after realising his “drunken antics” had been an embarrassment to his family. He set up his own running group in the city and said he had become “part of the biggest, friendliest, most inclusive community in the world”. This is a novel and effective way of helping people in addiction recovery and provides immeasurable addiction rehab support to people with problematic alcohol use.

Read the BBC News article Here

13th March 2025

Garda Commissioner says drug investigations focused on dealers, not addicts

The Garda Commissioner has said drugs investigations are currently focused on major drug dealers and transnational organised crime groups, not on addicts who need treatment and help. Campaigners have welcomed this approach and say it is of no benefit to gardaí or society to pursue people whose main issue is addiction. Ken is a recovering heroin addict who started taking heroin when he was very young. He is now 50 years old and is still being treated for his addiction. Research has shown over many decades that opioid substitution treatment is the most effective harm reduction method for treating heroin dependence. 

Read the RTE News article Here

12th March 2025

‘Wild West of the drug market’: calls for laws to deal with synthetic cannabinoids

In villages, towns and cities across the country, a little-known synthetic drug is making its presence felt on the lives of teenagers. Contained in vapes and edibles such as jellies, hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) is being termed a “ticking timebomb”, a “silent assassin” and a drug which is wreaking “havoc” on young people.

Sadly, the language and tone of this article plays into the moral panic that tends to surround the cannabis debate in Ireland.  It could be argued that if cannabis was made legal then it is unlikely that synthetic cannabinoids would ever see the light of day. The Citizens assembly vote on cannabis legalisation was almost split down the middle (slightly favouring continued prohibition). Some people can develop problems with cannabis and become dependent. They need timely addiction treatment when problems develop.

Read the Irish Examiner article Here

11th March 2025

The state of our liver health

A meeting overview report on the 2nd Annual Irish Liver Foundation Study Day, which took place in the RCSI, Dublin, on 18 January. The Irish Liver Foundation (ILF) was set up in December 2022 by healthcare professionals working in liver disease in Ireland. One of the goals of the ILF is to support continuous education and our study days are short but vital. They are a fantastic way to get the most up-to-date, evidence-based information on liver disease in Ireland. The charity has been expanding rapidly and held a patient-specific study day in October 2024 in collaboration with another charity called the Liver Ireland Support Network (LISN), a peer support charity aimed at those with liver disease, in particular anyone on a liver transplant journey. Alcohol dependence is the biggest contributor to liver disease worldwide and people with this condition needs ready access to addiction rehab and treatment support.

Read the Medical Independent article Here

10th March 2025

Fast boats and military-grade guns are new trends in Irish drugs trade, says assistant Garda chief

Assistant Commissioner Angela Willis, head of Organised and Serious Crime, told The Irish Times that crime in the Republic, especially the drugs trade, was “local” when she began her policing career in the 1990s. Now, it is truly “global”, while Irish gangs have armed themselves with “military grade” guns. She was speaking on the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Garda’s Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB), which she once led. It spearheads the force’s assault against the most significant gangs in the country and foreign crime groups with a reach into Ireland. Unfortunately, the war on drugs does little to help people in active addiction as it stigmatises the user and probably make reaching out for addiction rehab and treatment services more difficult.

Read the Irish Times article Here

7th March 2025

How new gambling rules will impact Irish punters

The newly formed Gambling Regulatory Authority has, since Wednesday, taken control of the industry. The regulator will decide who in the areas of gaming, betting and lottery will get operating licences, and oversee the new regulations now in force under the long delayed Gambling Regulation Act. The underlying goal of the legislation is to protect children and problem gamblers. Measures include advertising and sponsorship restrictions as well as banning industry-wide marketing practices such as free bets, free credit and hospitality. This along with gambling addiction rehab and treatment services will help people at risk of developing problems.

Read the Irish Times article Here

6th March 2025

Minister Carroll MacNeill requests that Government make Health (Delegation of functions) Order 2025 to the new Ministers of State

“I have always been very supportive of measures to reduce smoking rates and look forward to working with my colleagues in the Department of Health on plans to help more people to quit smoking, discourage the initiation of smoking and improve overall public health. “I will also prioritise policy on risk factors and issues such as obesity, tobacco and alcohol, physical activity, mental wellbeing and sexual health and period dignity by empowering people and communities to engage in improving health and wellbeing and shift the emphasis to prevention. It is very important that smokers trying to make a quit attempt receive the right help for their addiction and without unnecessary delay or barriers.

Read the Gov.ie press release Here

5th March 2025

Minister O’Callaghan establishes GRAI approves appointment of members as new licencing & regulatory framework for gambling begins

The Minister for Justice, Mr Jim O’Callaghan T.D. has today (Tuesday) signed the order to commence parts of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 to enable the Authority to become operational and the order to establish Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, on a statutory basis. Minister O’Callaghan has also approved the appointment of the seven members of this new, independent Authority, who will be appointed and commence their roles with effect from tomorrow, 5 March, 2025. They will be the members of the Authority which is responsible for regulating and licencing all gambling providers in the State and which has wide ranging powers to regulate both in-person and online gambling, gaming and most lotteries. Gambling addiction is a pervasive problem which requires tailored addiction rehab and treatment approaches.

Read the Gov.ie press release Here

4th March 2025

New gambling addiction service will offer ‘confidential online counselling’ to clients in Wexford and the south east

3rd March 2025

Cocaine use fuels record high in drug deaths

Drug-poisoning deaths in England and Wales have hit the highest level in 30 years, fuelled by a 30% rise in fatalities involving cocaine. The highest rate of drug deaths is still among men in “Generation X”, particularly those aged 40-49, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Cocaine deaths were nearly 10 times higher in 2023 than a decade earlier, claiming more than 1,100 lives. The government said drug-related deaths are “tragically at record highs.” Cocaine addiction requires prompt addiction rehab and treatment for people blighted this problem.

Read the BBC News article Here

28th February 2025

‘Michael Jackson started my path away from alcohol’

A wellness and sobriety coach said a panic attack in a supermarket and a Michael Jackson song made him look at his own problems with alcohol. Andy Smith, who lives in Sandhurst, Berkshire, said growing up in the Shetland Islands and its drinking culture, plus a stressful job, fostered an unhealthy relationship with drink. He now runs seven-day courses which reshape people’s relationship with booze. Alcohol addiction rehab and treatment services provide people with alcohol dependence the opportunity to address their problems and maintain long term recovery.

Read the BBC News article Here

27th February 2025

Generation K: The disturbing rise of ketamine abuse among young people

Ketamine, a powerful horse tranquiliser and anaesthetic, is a licensed drug and can be prescribed medically. However, when misused, it can cause serious and sometimes permanent damage to the bladder. The hospital is watching Ryan for signs of kidney failure, too. He worries about finding a girlfriend and having children. But he is stoical when he talks about passing blood and having to urinate numerous times a day. Ketamine use has soared in the last five years and addiction treatment and rehab services are dealing with every increasing numbers.

Read the BBC news article Here

26th February 2025

‘I manage my pain’: Addictive drug prescription rates drop

Prescriptions of some addictive medications used to treat chronic pain and anxiety have fallen over the past 10 years in Northern Ireland, BBC News NI can reveal. Doctors welcomed the reduction in the use of tramadol, pregabalin, and diazepam, but they also stressed that more needed to be done to ensure people could access other pain treatments more quickly. Tracey Latimer started taking pregabalin to deal with arthritis and knee pain, but she has come off the painkiller after attending a pain management course. A number of factors have contributed to this reduction including better legislation and guidelines as well as more resources given towards counselling and addiction treatment and rehab.

Read the BBC News article Here

25th February 2025

24th February 2025

‘The same feeling as gambling’: Loot boxes are pulling young gamers into the world of betting

There was a point where I’d spend my whole pay cheque trying to win back the money I’d lost, only to lose more and end up in a deeper hole,” says ‘Chris’, a 21-year-old student at Technological University Dublin whose real name has been changed. His experience with addiction mirrors the struggles of many young adults in Ireland who are grappling with compulsive gambling. There is a need for tailored gambling addiction treatment and rehab services.

Read the Journal.ie article Here

21st February 2025

New Youth Diversion Projects for Clare and Tipperary announced by Minister O’Callaghan and Minister of State Collins

Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan TD and Minister of State at the Department of Justice Niall Collins TD have today (Thursday) confirmed the selection of two new Youth Diversion Projects. The two new successful applications have been chosen in East Clare and North Tipperary. Following an open application and appraisal process, Foróige have been chosen to operate both projects. The announcement of the new YDPs will achieve the target as set out in the Youth Justice Strategy of full national coverage of YDPs, ensuring that a service is available to every young person who needs it. There are currently 93 YDPs throughout the State, including four new projects which were established in 2023 which are now up and running. It is also very important that addiction rehab and treatment facilities are enhanced for young people who run into problems.

Read the Gov.ie news release Here

20th February 2025

‘Record-breaking demand for help’ from sports gambling addicts

A new study finds a dramatic increase in sports betting and gambling addiction help-seeking since the landmark Murphy v. NCAA Supreme Court decision in 2018 paved the way for states to legalize sports betting. The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine and led by researchers from the University of California San Diego. “When the Supreme Court legalized sportsbooks — a venue where people can wager on various sports competitions — in Murphy v. NCAA, public health experts paid little attention,” said the study’s senior author John W. Ayers, Ph.D. “Now, sportsbooks have expanded from a single state to 38 states, with hundreds of billions of wagers, mostly online, coinciding with record-breaking demand for help with gambling addiction as millions seek help.”

Read the Consumer Affairs.com article Here

19th February 2025

Stubbornly glamorous cocaine lures us into addiction

Martha Gill’s article about the ravages of increased cocaine usage and purity raises important questions, and gives data that shows our thinking on the whys and hows of the use and treatment of the drug are out of date. It is strange, though, that the article does not mention the word “addiction”, even while questioning why it might be that rates of usage remain so high among gen X users in their 40s and 50s. Cocaine addiction is prevalent in the UK and addiction rehab and treatment services help people overcome the problem.

Read the Guardian article Here

18th February 2025

Dr McGovern on Ireland AM discussing cocaine addiction

Dr McGovern was invited to Ireland AM yesterday to discuss cocaine addiction and its treatment.

Watch the Ireland AM interview Here

17th February 2025

Cocaine use ‘becoming a bigger problem’ on social scenes

The number of women – especially young women – who are seeking treatment for cocaine addiction is rising dramatically. Figures provided by the HSE show that there was a 388% increase among females who sought drug treatment for cocaine between 2017 and 2023. During that period, the numbers looking for help rose from 284 cases up to 1,387 cases. The use of cocaine is no longer confined to Ireland’s main cities. The drug is now prevalent across Ireland. This underscores the need for easy access cocaine addiction treatment and rehab facilities.

Read the RTE.ie article Here

14th February 2025

More funding needed to address ‘escalating addiction crisis’, warns recovery group

Addiction treatment provider Tabor Group has issued an urgent plea for more government funding to address what it called the “escalating addiction crisis”. The organisation, which has been providing addiction recovery services for over 35 years, says it is under pressure to guarantee its 36 treatment beds in aging buildings that are in urgent need of upgrade, that it is expecting shortfalls in revenue funding this year, and is struggling to keep pace with the growing needs of those seeking help. Addiction rehab and treatment services are an essential part of providing people with the necessary tools to overcome their addiction.

Read the Irish Examiner article Here

13th February 2025

‘A godsend’: Inside Ireland’s first drug injection centre

Almost a decade after it was first proposed, Ireland’s first ever Medically Supervised Injection Facility (MSIF) opened its doors at Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) in December. Six weeks into this 18-month pilot scheme, Prime Time visited the centre, hearing from drug users, staff and those who still hold concerns about the facility. This centre has the great potential to link users with traditional addiction rehab and harm reduction services.

Read the RTE.ie article Here

12th February 2025

GPs asked to identify potential gambling addicts

GPs and other healthcare professionals in England should help identify potential problem gambling, in the same way they look for alcohol and smoking addiction, new guidance says. In its first recommendations on gambling, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence says they should look for “gambling-related harms”, including to health, finances and people around the patient, such as their family and local community. In 2023, a survey of 20,000 adults found 2.5% had a gambling problem, with young men most at risk of addiction. people who develop gambling problems need early intervention and addiction rehab therapy.

Read the BBC News article Here

11th February 2025

Rising tensions: Prisoner ‘disorder’ cases surge 25% in two years

The number of prisoners being disciplined over disorder, including physical assaults, has risen by almost 25% in just two years, according to new figures. Prison disciplinary sanctions went up by 2,000 incidents between 2022 and 2024 — with the biggest increases in Mountjoy, Cork, Limerick and Castlerea prisons. The rise in disorder comes after a prison officer in Mountjoy was slashed across the face by a prisoner on February 1 in an attack that prison sources believe could easily have been fatal. This followed the fatal stabbing of a prisoner by another inmate in Cloverhill Prison last October. It is important that where a patient in prison has a drug or alcohol problem that they have ready access to addiction rehab and treatment interventions.

Read the Irish Examiner article Here

10th February 2025

Alcohol-related deaths are spiking. So why don’t we take alcohol addiction more seriously?

One night in 2012, back when I was an addiction medicine fellow at Boston Medical Center, I received a life-changing call. My younger brother had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The real cause, however, was depression worsened by his alcohol use disorder (AUD). More than a decade has passed since his death and I have devoted my career to addiction medicine, but I still ask myself, “Why does our country fail so badly when it comes to alcohol use?” It is hugely important when patients are diagnosed with an alcohol addiction that they have access to prompt treatment.

Read the aamc.org article Here

7th February 2025

UK’s biggest gambling addiction charity accused of ‘promoting’ gambling by campaigners

Britain’s biggest gambling addiction charity is being looked into following a complaint that it was allegedly “promoting” the interests of the gambling industry, which funds it through donations. The industry regulator, The Charity Commission, told Inews it has opened a “regulatory compliance case” after receiving a complaint that questioned GambleAware’s independence and claimed it was failing in its charitable duties. GambleAware commissions gambling addiction treatment and rehab, education and research in the UK and is funded by voluntary donations from the gambling industry, which experts have claimed presents “conflicts of interest”.

Read the Inews.co.uk article Here

6th February 2025

5th February 2025

The NHS clinic trying to wean patients off painkillers

Chronic pain is a fact of life for many thousands of people in Scotland but a health board is trying to tackle the long-term use of highly-addictive drugs as a treatment. NHS Fife has one of the highest prescribing rates in Scotland for medicines such as codeine and morphine but it is now taking steps to offer a wider range of treatments to help people with persistent pain become less reliant on medication. Suzie Morley is one of the patients who has reduced her use of painkillers. She first experienced shooting pains in her back 10 years ago. Opioid painkiller addiction rehab and treatment services, such as, are essential in helping people come off these drugs safely.

Read the BBC News article Here

4th February 2025

‘I break the law to buy my child’s life-saving cannabis drug’

Until recently, Jane would have described her family as normal, law-abiding citizens. But that changed last summer, when the full-time mum started illegally buying cannabis oil online for her daughter, Annie. The 10-year-old has a severe, rare type of epilepsy, resistant to conventional treatments. At her worst, Annie was admitted to hospital 22 times in 22 months. Doctors warned Jane there was a very real prospect of her daughter dying from a seizure. 

This is a heart rending story and no mother should have to suffer in this way. Medical cannabis should be made available to all those who need it. Any person who is using recreational cannabis should not be prosecuted and all those people who develop problems or an addiction to cannabis should be helped with addiction rehab treatment.

Read the BBC News article Here

3rd February 2025

Teenager who smoked heroin daily now drug-free after time in secure State care

A teenager who was until recent weeks smoking three to four bags of  heroin a day is now drug-free after spending some time detained in a secure State care unit, the High Court has heard. Mr Justice John Jordan said the boy’s “extraordinary progress” in a matter of weeks is a “testament to what can be achieved” when children get a place in one of the State’s three “special care” units, which are deployed as a short-term therapeutic intervention to reduce a young person’s risk of harm. Addiction rehab and treatment in a prompt manner were essential in this case.

Read the Irish Times article Here

31st January 2025

European Commission within rights to ban flavoured HTPs – court

Irish tobacco company PJ Carroll has received an adverse opinion from the European Court of Justice regarding a legal challenge over heated tobacco products (HTPs). The opinion by an Advocate General of the court has found that the European Commission was within its rights in banning flavoured HTPs under the Tobacco Products Directive, which entered into force in 2014.

Read the RTE.IE article Here

30th January 2025

29th January 2025

Three inmates overdose on synthetic drug in Cork Prison

Three prisoners fell ill and one had to be hospitalised after a suspected overdose of the dangerous synthetic drug spice at Cork Prison.It’s believed the illicit substance was smuggled into the facility soaked into sheets of paper, which were sent as letters to inmates, who then tore them up into strips and smoked them or scraped the drug off. This underscores the importance of addiction rehab and acute emergency interventions in prison.

Read the Irish Examiner article Here

28th January 2025

New UL project to study youth recruitment and participation in European drugs markets

A new University of Limerick research project will study interventions that aim to prevent youth recruitment and participation in European drugs markets. The study – titled ‘Promising Approaches, Opportunities and Barriers for Interventions to Prevent Youth Recruitment and Participation in European Drugs Markets’ – will be led by the Research Evidence into Policy, Programmes and Practice (REPPP) Project, a strategic partnership between UL’s School of Law and the Department of Justice, aimed at improving understandings about youth crime and the effectiveness of youth crime policy, programmes, and practice. 

Read the ul.ie article Here

27th January 2025

Should the Government move to label alcohol as a cancer-causing substance?

Twenty-one years ago, Ireland was the first country in the world to introduce a workplace smoking ban. Our newly installed Taoiseach, Micheal Martin, was the minister for health who, in 2004, pulled the trigger to launch what was an unprecedented public health initiative. Might he now lead a Government that will tackle the alcohol industry in the way the tobacco lobby was tamed almost 21 years ago? Public health initiatives such as this, and ready access to addiction rehab and treatment, are essential in reducing the burden of alcohol related diseases.

Read the Irish Times article Here

24th January 2025

Struggles with Alcoholism: A Journey from Denial to Recovery

In an interview with Psychiatric Times, Christopher L. Schenewerk, MD discussed his history with alcoholism and his experiences before entering addiction rehab in 2018. He said that historically, he had been a social drinker and was usually a very social person. “It wasn’t until I turned 40, when I went through a divorce… that I realized I thought I was prepared for anything in life and apparently I wasn’t,” Schenewerk said. He said the social drinking slowly became daily drinking and began destroying his life. He knew what to do and how to treat addiction but did not know how to treat himself or recognize his addiction.

Read the Psychiatric Time article Here

23rd January 2025

How Baltimore Convinced Officers to Seek Help for Alcoholism and Depression

Baltimore’s health and wellness program has convinced 250 officers to sign themselves in for alcohol addiction treatment. Thanks to early interventions like that, the number of officers needing treatment has dropped dramatically, while citizen complaints have also come down. Other cities are pursuing similar programs. Studies suggest that when officers are better able to cope with the stress of their jobs, use of excessive force goes down on the streets, while episodes of domestic abuse at home also decrease.

Read the Governing.com article Here

22nd January 2025

MS calls for ‘urgent’ inquiry into gambling crisis in Wales

Jane Dodds, who is the Chair of the Cross Party Group on Gambling Related Harm, warned the Health and Social Care Committee that almost 20 per cent of gambling premises are concentrated in the country’s most deprived areas. And unlike England, there are no dedicated NHS gambling clinics in Wales. Gambling addiction is a pervasive problem that requires tailored addiction rehab and treatment approaches.

Read the Christian.org article Here

21st January 2025

Principals raise concerns over student use of addictive ‘snus’ nicotine pouches in schools

Director of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, Paul Crone, told the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk that the pouches are based off a Scandinavian tobacco product called snus. The small pouches, which users put inside their lips to obtain a hit of nicotine, fall outside the parameters of Irish laws on tobacco or vapes. Crone acknowledges that principals are not certain as to how widespread the practice is in this country. With that in mind, it is important not to create a moral panic around youth use and also bear in mind the benefits smokers derive from these products in trying to overcome a smoking addiction. One final point. These products are beinSnusg incorrectly referred to as ‘Snus’, which is a tobacco pouch. There is no tobacco in a nicotine pouch.

Read the Journal.ie article Here

20th January 2025

Ministers for Health introduce licensing system for tobacco and vapes

The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly and the Minister for Public Health Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Colm Burke have today announced the commencement of the remaining sections of the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023. These sections introduce a new licensing system for the retail sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products such as e-cigarettes. The system will come into operation on 2 February 2026. It is important that any legislation that seeks to reduce the risk of youth e-cigarette use does not disproportionately and negatively effect smokers using these products to quit a smoking addiction.

Read the Gov.ie article Here

17th January 2025

New initiative to reduce and prevent alcohol harm

A national initiative to reduce and prevent alcohol harm in communities will be launched in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, this morning – the first of 12 locations where the initiative will be rolled out. Community-led steering groups, with the help of multiple State agencies, will provide targeted interventions in their respective areas. Ready access to alcohol addiction rehab and treatment are essential in giving people with drink problems the best opportunity to maintain long-term sobriety.

Read the RTE.ie article Here

16th January 2025

Minister of State Colm Burke highlights significant uptake of new supervised injecting facility services

The Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Colm Burke, has highlighted the clear demand for services in the country’s first Medically Supervised Injecting Facility (MSIF) in its first three weeks of operation. Since its opening on 22 December 2024 up to 15 January 2025, there have been more than 300 visits by a total of 108 people to the Merchants Quay Ireland facility at Riverbank House in Dublin City Centre. Supervised injecting centres, as well as offering harm reduction advice to services users, also offer onward referral to conventional addiction rehab and treatment services.

Read the Gov.ie publication Here

13th January 2025

Deadly new drugs found in fake medicines in the UK

Super-strength drugs linked to hundreds of deaths have been found in samples of fake medicines bought across the UK, the BBC can reveal. We found more than 100 examples of people trying to buy prescription medicines such as diazepam – commonly used to treat anxiety, muscle spasms and seizures – and instead receiving products containing nitazenes. The synthetic opioid drugs have been connected to 278 deaths across the country in a year, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA). Nitazenes can be stronger than both heroin and fentanyl, a prolific killer in the US. Anyone with problems with either opiate or benzodiazepine use needs ready access to addiction rehab and treatment interventions.

Read the BBC article Here

10th January 2025

Government must prioritise full implementation of Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 (PHAA)

Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) welcomes the broadcast watershed ban on television and radio alcohol advertising which comes into force tomorrow (Friday, January 10). The watershed – Section 19 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 (PHAA) – will ensure a daytime broadcasting ban on alcohol advertising, with no advertisements for alcohol products on television from 3am to 9pm and on radio on a weekday from 3pm to 10am the following morning. This measure will help to reduce the level of exposure of children to alcohol marketing, which is known to be a key driver of both initiating alcohol use by children and increasing use. It is a particularly important restriction given that Diageo is currently the Number 4 advertiser to children in Ireland and at least 50,000 children start to drink every year. Alcohol dependence and problematic use underscore the need for greater availability of alcohol addiction rehab and recovery programmes.

Read the Alcohol Ireland article Here

9th January 2025

Simon Harris and Micheál Martin at odds over cannabis decriminalisation

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil continue to be at odds over the decriminalisation of cannabis. The two parties are engaged in ongoing government formation talks, after policy approaches to drug use emerged as a flashpoint during the election. Fianna Fáil’s election manifesto called for the decriminalisation of cannabis. On Thursday, party leader Micheál Martin stressed that decriminalisation is not the same as legalisation. A health led approach, as set out by the recommendations of the Citizens Assembly on Drugs, requires the removal of sanctions associated with drug possession and also called for the expansion of addiction rehab services for people who develop problems with their use.

Read the Irish Examiner article Here

8th January 2025

John Mulaney’s Most Candid Quotes About His Addiction and Recovery Through the Years

John Mulaney is choosing honesty when it comes to sharing his struggle with addiction and his attempts to stay sober. During his 2012 comedy special, New in Town, Mulaney explained why he decided to stop drinking years prior. “I used to drink too much, and then I would black out and I would ‘ruin’ parties, or so I’m told,” he joked. “When you do that enough, when you black out drinking and you do crazy things, you kind of become, like, Michael Jackson. Like, any story anyone says about you might be true, and even you don’t know by the end.” Timely treatment for alcohol dependence with addiction rehab is essential to long term recovery.

Read the Usmagazine.com article Here

7th January 2025

‘I spent my wedding night gambling away our money’

A woman who spent her wedding night secretly losing all the money she and her wife had been gifted has accused betting companies of “predatory” behaviour. Elissa Hubbard, 38, spent what was meant to be the happiest day of her life in 2021 hidden away gambling as part of an addiction that – at its peak- cost her £40,000 a year. It comes as BBC analysis suggests about one in five gambling premises are in Wales’ poorest areas. An expert in the psychology of gambling called clusters of betting shops in deprived areas “a huge problem”. Gambling addiction requires a tailored addiction rehab approach and far too many people who develop problems remain under the treatment radar.

Read the BBC News article Here

6th January 2025

I got addicted to gambling during school lunch breaks

“A £1 spin led to a £7 win” and that is all it took for Declan Cregan to get hooked on gambling at the age of 16. That first win on a roulette wheel then led to online gambling and trips to the bookies – it was a habit that spiralled out of control and would eventually cost him about £500,000. “People never think it’s going to be them,” said Declan who is now in recovery after a 10-year battle with gambling addiction. Gambling addiction is insidious and a lot of people with the problem don’t come forward for addiction rehab treatment.

Read the BBC news article Here

3rd January 2025

I was dying but still couldn’t get a bed in addiction rehab

Stephanie Ritchie says she was at the point where doctors were about to amputate her leg because of her drug use, but still could not get a rehab place. It took a recovery charity making an appeal on her behalf to secure a place, she says. Stephanie, who is now drug-free for the first time in 29 years, says she would not be alive today if she had not got into rehab. Campaigners have called for everyone who needs it to have the right to access addiction recovery services.

Read the BBC article Here

2nd January 2025

Irish tobacco companies look to vaping to safeguard bumper profits as cigarette sales fall

Vapes can be picked up, often for less than a tenner, in every town and village. In a few short years, they grew from a new to a common product, easy to buy no matter where you live in Ireland. So when you hand over your tenner at the till, who is profiting? The Journal Investigates dug into lobbying records, company accounts, shareholder reports and other statements to find, not too deep under the surface, the tobacco industry. Smoking kills approx. 6,000 people a year in Ireland. The evidence shows that among interventions for  tobacco dependence, e-cigarettes can play a critical role in reducing the number of people who smoke.

Read the Journal.ie article Here

1st January 2025

One arrest every hour in the last month: Shock figure for drink and drug driving revealed

Arrests for driving while intoxicated on Irish roads were made on an hourly basis over the past month, with drugs a “significant factor” in a third of cases. It comes as almost 300 gardaí have been placed on lists following a competition to be transferred to traffic units across the country as the force boosts its efforts to prevent further carnage on Irish roads. Roadside testing, currently, only tests for metabolites of drugs. A more robust system is required which should include sobriety testing. People who are addicted to illicit drugs present a particular risk and need the help of addiction rehab services to help them overcome their problem.

Read the Independent.ie article Here

31st December 2024

Benzodiazepines in Canada: Is a Withdrawal Crisis Looming?

n February 16^th, CBC News published an online article: ‘ Quebec doctors to face increased scrutiny for over prescription of anti-anxiety medication’. Clearly a commentary on the subject of Cauchemar sur ordonnance, this piece names “misuse of benzodiazepines [as a] concern in Quebec”. In response to this issue, the college of physicians in Quebec, The College des medecins du Quebec’ will be increasing its monitoring of those physicians thought to be overprescribing benzos. Whilst over prescribing may well be a problem, the under recognition and treatment of people with benzodiazepine dependence is also a significant problem and tailored addiction rehab and treatment services are needed.

Read the Mad in America article Here

30th December 2024

Developing new drugs to treat addiction

Drug addiction is by no means a modern problem. Historians have found references to various types of drug addiction in the earliest known recordings of human history. Since the beginning, people have often viewed drug addiction as a moral failing of the individual, rather than as a disease that can be treated with pharmacological interventions. Starting in the 20^th century, however, new scientific findings finally began to shift the blame away from the individual as studies revealed how drugs of abuse hijack the brain’s reward circuitry. Yet, widespread stigma still exists today that harms individuals with substance use disorders and hinders efforts to develop effective pharmaceutical treatments. 

Read the Discovery Drugs article Here

27th December 2024

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly wanted 20c on price of a pint in Budget 2025, but proposal rejected

26th December 2024

Minister says he faced ‘extraordinary’ lobbying over legislation to reform rules on gambling

Over Christmas about 60,000 punters are expected to throng Leopardstown for the traditional festive-season horse-racing festival. Many will be there just to enjoy the sport and most will have a flutter, with several million euro likely to change hands between bookmakers and punters over the four days. But it may be the last year in which long-standing rules surrounding gambling are in force, with a whole new set of regulations due to come into effect. Any change in legislation should also factor in the need for gambling addiction and rehab treatment services for people who have developed problems.

Read the Irish Times article Here

25th December 2024

Minister of State Colm Burke grants licence for Ireland’s first pilot Supervised Injecting Facility in Dublin city centre

24th December 2024

Editorial: Benzodiazepine addiction: from lab to street

Benzodiazepine-type drugs (benzodiazepines and newer non-benzodiazepines, such as “Z-drugs”) are important therapeutic tools in psychiatry and general medicine. Despite their clinical usefulness, benzodiazepine-type drugs also are associated with several unwanted side effects, including abuse and dependence. Benzodiazepine addiction treatment and rehab programmes help people overcome their dependencies and more services are needed.

Read the Frontiers article Here

23rd December 2024

Research Shows Continued Cocaine Use Disrupts Communication Between Major Brain Networks

A collaborative research endeavor by scientists in the Departments of Radiology, Neurology, and Psychology and Neuroscience at the UNC School of Medicine have demonstrated the deleterious effects of chronic cocaine use on the functional networks in the brain. Their study titled “Network Connectivity Changes Following Long-Term Cocaine Use and Abstinence”, was highlighted by the editor of Journal of Neuroscience in “This Week in The Journal.” Cocaine addiction has increased significantly over the past 20 years and early intervention addiction rehab programmes are essential to help sufferers overcome their addiction.

Read the UNC Health article Here

20th December 2024

Over 3 million annual deaths due to alcohol and drug use, majority among men

A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights that 2.6 million deaths per year were attributable to alcohol consumption, accounting for 4.7% of all deaths, and 0.6 million deaths to psychoactive drug use. Notably, 2 million of alcohol and 0.4 million of drug-attributable deaths were among men. The importance of alcohol recovery and treatment programmes cannot be overstated in helping people with alcohol addiction.

Read the WHO article Here

19th December 2024

Alcohol-related deaths are spiking. So why don’t we take alcohol addiction more seriously?

Alcohol kills nearly 500 Americans every day, and nearly 3 million have an alcohol use disorder. An addiction specialist whose brother died of alcohol-related causes describes how doctors can help. Early intervention by way of addiction treatment and rehab can considerably reduce the burden of the disease.

Read the aamc.org article Here

18th December 2024

 Minister of State Colm Burke grants licence for Ireland’s first pilot Supervised Injecting Facility in Dublin city centre

17th December 2024

 Ireland’s first medically supervised injection facility to open

Ireland’s first medically supervised injection facility is due to open its doors this month at Merchant Quay Ireland’s Riverbank centre in Dublin city centre. Located in the basement of the building, it will provide a clean and supervised space where intravenous drug users can use pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of trained medical professionals. It was also help to link people who use the site to other addiction treatment and rehab services.

Read the RTE.ie article Here

16th December 2024

Promoting healthier youth by addressing the risks of online gambling and gaming – Kick-off meeting of new project in nine EU countries

The first meeting of the Advisory Group of the Project “Promoting the mental health of children and youth by addressing the risks of online gambling and gaming” took place online on 13 December 2024. Started on 1 October 2024, this new project will support the national authorities of Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia in enhancing their responses to risks posed by online gambling and gaming among children and youth. At this first meeting, the Advisory Group adopted the work programme of the project, laying thus the ground for the two years of its duration. Online gambling and gaming has increased considerably in recent years and underscores the need for tailored addiction treatment and rehab programmes for people of all ages.

Read the Pompidou Group article Here

13th December 2024

Almost four in ten Cavan teens have consumed alcohol

Healthy Ireland Cavan, in association with Alcohol Forum Ireland and the North-West Regional Drug & Alcohol Task Force, is supporting a survey by MaCYSS in an effort to delay the onset age of drinking in adolescents. Alcohol addiction is a longstanding issue in Ireland and early addiction rehab intervention and prevention are important to reverse the damaging effects of youth alcohol use.

Read the anglocelt.ie article Here

5th December 2024

Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) announces strategic partnership with the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) will now advise consumers they can direct complaints around gambling advertising to the Advertising Standards Authority. The Advertising Standards Authority, the independent advertising self-regulatory body responsible for promoting, regulating and enforcing the highest standards of marketing communications in Ireland, has partnered with the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), the new statutory body that, once established, will be responsible for the licensing and regulation of gambling services in Ireland, to streamline the process for complaints around advertising for gambling. Gambling addiction is a pervasive and often hidden problem and these measures aim to protect problem gamblers and aid them in their addiction recovery.

Read the adstandards.ie article Here

4th December 2024

EU countries seek to include vaping in tobacco tax law

Sixteen EU countries have asked the European Commission to propose a new law in the coming months on taxing tobacco in the bloc to include new products such as electronic cigarettes which are not covered under the existing legislation. The initiative, led by the Netherlands, has the support of Ireland, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Slovakia, Spain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Portugal. Unfortunately this is likely to create a barrier for people with a smoking addiction to break their habit.

Read the RTE.ie article Here

3rd December 2024

RSA launch Christmas road safety campaign

The Road Safety Authority is urging drivers nationwide to stay safe and sober this festive season as new data from the Medical Bureau of Road Safety (MBRS) show concerningly high levels of alcohol and other drugs in driver toxicology testing. New survey research from the RSA has also identified concerning behaviours and attitudes among motorists in relation to driving under the influence. Driving intoxicated is an even greater challenge among people with problematic alcohol use or people with an established addiction.

Read the RSA.ie article Here

2nd December 2024

Drivers urged to stay safe, sober during Christmas period

The Road Safety Authority has urged drivers to stay safe and sober during the Christmas period. Last December 14 people lost their lives on Irish roads and 124 were seriously injured.  So far this year, 165 people have been killed in road traffic accidents. Speaking at the RSA’s Christmas Road Safety Campaign launch, its Chief Executive Sam Waide said the majority of road deaths have been drivers. He added that 84% of those fatalities have been on rural roads.

Read the rte.ie article Here

29th November 2024

Nearly 160 Million Americans Harmed by Another’s Drinking, Drug Use

28th November 2024

‘Largest addiction rehabilitation center in the Northeast’ to come to University City

Real estate investment group Creating Shared Communities will build a 517,000-square-foot addiction rehabilitation center at 3700 Ludlow St., blocks away from Penn’s campus. When completed, the 40-story building is set to have both inpatient and outpatient services and will be the largest addiction rehabilitation center in the Northeast. General manager of CSC Sal Smeke called the facility the “Mayo Clinic of drug abuse in the Northeast.” This significant development underscores the need for timely and accessible addiction rehab and treatment services to people suffering from dependency issues.

Read THE thedp.com article Here

27th November 2024

HPRA warns of health risks of semaglutide type products sold illegally online

1,401 units of illegal semaglutide and other GLP-1 agonists detained in 2024 to-date. In light of its increasing detention of illegal products, the HPRA is today warning the public to only source GLP-1 medicines, including semaglutide, liraglutide and tirzepatide, from a registered pharmacy using a valid prescription from their healthcare professional. As a result of its proactive enforcement work in this area, the HPRA has detained some 1,401 units of illegal GLP-1 products in 2024 to date.

Read the HPRA article Here

26th November 2024

Gunnebah drug, alcohol rehab deepens Bond Uni medical students’ understanding of addiction

Medical student Gordon Nguyen knows he’s lived a relatively sheltered life when it comes to substance abuse. “I don’t really have a background in addiction — I’ve never really been affected by it,” he said. So when he spent six weeks at a rehabilitation clinic as part of his medical degree, the 24-year-old had an “eye-opening” experience. “It’s not just the medical side, like the drug — addiction is more of a symptom of something else,” he said.

Read the ABC.net article Here

25th November 2024

A controversial but effective addiction treatment for meth addiction gains ground

Bernard Groves has spent five years trying to quit methamphetamine. He lost his job. He lost his car. He nearly lost his apartment. Worse than that, he says, his addiction has hurt his family. “I went [to lunch] with my auntie and I saw such sadness in her eyes,” Groves said. The 35-year-old checked himself into several rehab programs in San Diego and San Francisco hoping “to be that Bernard I used to be for the people that I love.”

Read the npr.org article Here

22nd November 2024

Vapes with cannabinoids causing psychosis in users as young as 13

Dangerous synthetic cannabinoids being sold in vape shops are causing psychosis in children as young as 13 that may damage them for life, a leading psychiatrist has warned. Professor Bobby Smyth, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist and clinical professor at Trinity College Dublin, said 20-25% of presentations to adolescent addiction services he works in now involve hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) — a semi-synthetic cannabinoid with broadly similar effects to cannabis.

This highlights the lack of good regulation around cannabinoid products. The Citizens Assembly last year advocated for greater resources for addiction rehab and treatment and a vote to legalise cannabis was narrowly defeated by the Citizens.

Read the Irish Examiner article Here

21st November 2024

Drivers must wait for checkpoint drug test result, Supreme Court rules

The Supreme Court has ruled that a suspected drug driver was required to wait at the scene of a roadside Garda checkpoint for the result of a drug test. And while it was an error of law for a garda to tell the driver that he was obliged to wait for one hour for the result, the law requiring him to provide a breath specimen for the drug test encompassed a requirement to wait for the result, the court said. The case concerned an appeal brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) against a High Court decision that found the garda was not entitled to detain the driver at the roadside for up to an hour for the test result.

Read the Irish Times article Here

20th November 2024

‘This will save lives’ – Ireland’s first supervised drug injection centre to open this December

Ireland’s first medically supervised drug injection facility (MSIF) is set to open in Dublin in December, according to the charity overseeing the service. Homeless and addiction services charity Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) told The Journal that construction is at a “well-advanced” stage, and they facility is expected to open before Christmas. MQI chief executive Eddie Mullins said the charity is aiming for a mid-December opening date, adding that the charity is “right up to the line in terms of the work with our builders”. As well as an increase in funding and resources for addiction rehab and treatment this service will strengthen the harm reduction options for people who inject drugs.

Read the Journal.ie article Here

19th November 2024

Parties urged to back drug decriminalisation

A coalition of community drug projects has called on all political parties to commit to implementing the recommendations of the citizens’ assembly on drugs and the Oireachtas committee on drugs — including their calls to decriminalise the possession of drugs for personal use. Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign is also urging concentrated investment in the most disadvantaged of communities and in local drugs task forces. The recent Citizens Assembly on drugs recommended a health led approach with expansion of addiction rehab and treatment services.

Read the Irish Examiner article Here

18th November 2024

Next government must establish an Office for Alcohol Harm Reduction

Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) welcomes the upcoming General Election as an opportunity for the people of Ireland to have their voices heard on the issues that matter most and AAI believes that reducing harm from alcohol is one of them. Political parties are setting out their positions on multiple issues from crime to health to the economy. Alcohol harm permeates all these areas, yet government responses are disjointed and often contradictory. Alcohol harm costs high-income countries like Ireland 2.5% of GDP – €12bn annually – according to the World Health Organisation. 1,500 hospital beds are in use daily due to alcohol harm; almost one million people have grown up with a problem drinker in the home; 600,000 people are classified as having alcohol use disorder and 37% of driver fatalities with a toxicology result available had a positive toxicology for alcohol. Readily available alcohol rehab treatment options also need to be expanded.

Read the AAI press release Here

15th November 2024

Cannabis users spiked with heroin while dealers offer free cocaine to expand their market

Young cannabis users are being spiked with heroin and pushed to take cocaine by dealers intent on hooking them to expand their market. Children as young as 13 are being offered free cocaine samples by dealers when they buy cannabis, according to addiction therapist Michael Guerin. As the cocaine high is short and the drug is expensive, users can quickly end up in debt and be forced to become mules, carrying large quantities of drugs for organised crime to pay back debt. This is a very worrying development and the greater the use of cannabis the greater the risk of negative outcomes relating to a contaminated supply. Any person who feels they have a problem with cannabis use should explore addiction rehab treatment.

Read the Irish Examiner article Here