Is crack the new heroin?

Dublin is in the midst of a crack cocaine crisis, according to the city's drug counselors.

The number of people seeking treatment for drug use in the Republic of Ireland increased by 594% from 173 cases in 2017 to 1,201 in 2023. Statistics from the Health Research Board (HRB) show.

One user said he came to the city when he was 20 and got hooked.

“I kind of spiraled down from maybe a few beers to a few ecstasy to a few other things and then I ended up on heroin and crack cocaine,” Ferghal Connolly said.

Crack is the street name for a solid form of cocaine that is usually smoked.

Daithi Doolan, from the South Inner City Drug and Alcohol Partnership, said many households in Dublin had some form of addiction.

“It is indeed a crisis,” he added.

“It happens at the school gate in the playground.”

Doolan, who is also a Sinn Féin councilor, said communities were unable to cope with the level of drug use.

“Drug-related intimidation affects individuals, families and entire communities held for ransom by drug dealers.”

Over the past few decades, Dublin had battled heroin in inner-city communities.

Those on the front lines of addiction say a heroin shortage due to geopolitical changes in Afghanistan has led to a rise in crack cocaine use.

In 2023, 4,923 people sought drug treatment, with cocaine in powder or crack form being the main problem.

Cheryl Kelly, an addiction counselor with the Donore Community Drug and Alcohol Team, said women need separate services from men for their “complex” needs.

“Women may find themselves in situations where they are forced into prostitution, or they may be afraid of social services, and the women face a lot of shame and stigma surrounding their drug use,” she said.

HRB statistics showed an increase in women seeking treatment for cocaine use, from 284 cases in 2017 to 1,387 in 2023.

Where crack was the main problem, almost half were female, just over one in 20 were employed and the average age was 39.

Ms Kelly said establishing a dedicated program for women was important.

“They face a lot of shame and stigma for taking care of their children, their family, whoever.

“It was very important for me to support or assist our community drug and alcohol team in setting up the pilot program for women.

“Women will not attend church services if they feel that the man who intimidated them in a store on Friday will also be looking for support in the same ministry. So there is definitely a need for women-only spaces where women can feel safe.”

Alan Kinsella, a caseworker at Coolmine Therapeutic Community in the city center, said: “We have a specific program that aims to work with people who use cocaine, both powder cocaine and crack cocaine; the numbers are consistently high,” he said.

“When a program so specific to a drug is full and full, it kind of tells the story of the extent of cocaine, particularly in Dublin city center.”

Alan said there is no social boundary that defines cocaine addiction.

“We see people from all walks of life with cocaine portrayed as a problem and people who have jobs – there is no distinction between the people we see and the drug they are using.”