A new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) confirms that more than one in forty people living in Ireland admit to using cocaine in the past year, making Irish people the fourth highest consumers of cocaine in the world - trailing behind Australia, Spain, and the Netherlands.

The report also warned of increasing violence in Ireland due to expanding drug markets, organised crime, as well as "Ireland’s potential role as a transit country for UK."

However, there is no evidence that international gangs are encroaching on the Irish ones which predominantly control the trade, despite an increased footing of Albanian organised crime in the country.

The growth in cocaine supply has been complemented by continuing growth in cocaine demand.

Learn about the new & established markets, but also criminal actors & trafficking modalities in the New Global Report on Cocaine 2023: https://t.co/XWLZTPiHrO@IllicitRoutes @EU_FPI pic.twitter.com/oY4roJDVzj

— UN Office on Drugs & Crime (@UNODC) March 17, 2023

Violence and intimidation are symbiotic with drug pushing on the island, the report states, accounting that users are often able to acquire drugs with no money upfront and end up accumulating large debts and addictions.

"As drug users quickly accumulate debts, they are often victimised as a means to force them to repay the debt. Research from Dublin’s inner city drug markets points out that drug users from vulnerable communities often acquire cocaine, which is beyond their financial means without having to pay for it during the transaction," the report dictates.

The Irish Health Research Board found that there was a 171% increase in the number of young people receiving treatment for cocaine abuse between the years of 2011 and 2019, and while cocaine production did drop off during the lockdown years, the The Global Report on Cocaine 2023 confirms that production has now surpassed pandemic rates.

Despite #COVID19, the global supply of cocaine is at record levels.

Almost 2000 t. were produced in 2020, continuing a dramatic uptick in manufacture that began in 2014.

Full data in the Global Report on Cocaine 2023: https://t.co/XWLZTPiHrO pic.twitter.com/fBvwn7HgXP

— UN Office on Drugs & Crime (@UNODC) March 16, 2023

The UNODC notes a growing participation of children in intimidation tactics, including throwing stones at houses and damaging cars.

However, despite an increased perception of drug related violence and intimidation over time, "there is no systematic data to indicate an increase."

Researchers are still investigating the impact of increased drug levels on communities.