TYPICAL DRUG USER IN 20S, LIVES AT HOME

THE typical drug user in Ireland is male, in his early 20s, has left school
young and is living in the family home.

Research compiled by the Drug Misuse Research Division (DMRD) of the Health
Research Board found that the average age of initial drug use in Ireland is
between 15 and 16 years of age.

The average age people first start injecting drugs, which is a major
problem in the eastern region, is about 20 years of age.

The research is based on figures collected from the National Drug Treatment
Reporting System, which is operated by all health boards around the country.

This reporting system found that cannabis is the drug for which most people
present for treatment, except in the eastern region, where opiates are
predominantly the drugs causing the most problems.

Trends also show that drug users presenting for treatment are using more
than one drug. The mixture of drugs in the eastern region is typically
opiates, benzodiazepines and cannabis, while in the Southern Health Board
area the combination is more likely to be cannabis, alcohol and ecstasy. In
all other regions, people tend to mix cannabis and ecstasy.

The research also found that in most health board areas, employment levels
among those attending clinics for drug treatment had generally improved.
However, these levels were typically still very low in comparison to that
of the general population.

"These characteristics are indicative of the social disadvantage of drug
users and present a challenge to policy makers, if social exclusion and
marginalisation issues are to be addressed," the report said.

The DMRD oversees the maintenance and development of the National Drug
Treatment Reporting System, which is a database of people treated for drug
misuse. The objectives of the reporting system are to provide reliable
information on the number and characteristics of people who are treated for
problem drug use and to examine trends and patterns of problem drug use.

Since its national introduction in 1995, a trend in the age profile of new
cases has emerged. There has been an increase in the number of 15 to
39-year-olds coming forward for treatment in all health board areas, except
the eastern region. While the number of new cases in the eastern region is
much higher than other parts of the country, it has decreased from 27 per
10,000 population in 1996 to 22 per 10,000 in 1999.

For all other health boards, the rate in 1996 was under 10 per 10,000
population. By 2000, the Northern Eastern, Midland, South Eastern and the
Southern Health Board had rates of more than 10 per 10,000 population.