Have you used cocaine or has someone in your family had a problem with cocaine?

This week, a new report from the Health Research Board laid bare some very shocking statistics about cocaine usage in Ireland at the moment.

It revealed an increasing prevalence in the use of cocaine in 15-24-year-olds to the extent that from 2011 to 2019, there was a 171% rise in the number of cases of young people receiving treatment for cocaine use.

Not only that, but usage of cocaine (and ecstasy) in Ireland is now the second highest in Europe.

Deise Today this morning (Thursday) featured expert discussion on the problem, with some good advice for parents, in particular, in both identifying a young person's drug habit and then helping them to deal with it.

Damien spoke to Dr Bobby Smyth, who is a Clinical Professor at the School of Medicine in TCD (as well as a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with particular experience with young people battling addiction), as well as David Curtin who is an addiction counsellor and the manager of the Aiseri Treatment Clinic in Wexford.

You can listen to Dr Smyth's full conversation with Damien, through the link in this podcast.

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