The recent publication of the National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS) by the Health Research Board (HRB), has shown an increase in uptake of drug treatment services. The NDTRS shows a record figure of 15,422 cases presenting for treatment for problem drug use, representing an increase of 16 per cent on 2024, and a 73 per cent increase in the annual number of cases entering treatment since the commencement of the current national drugs strategy in 2017.

The NDTRS presents data on treated problem drug use (excluding alcohol) for 2025, together with trends over the nine-year period from 2017 to 2025.

The Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD said; “The increased demand for treatment highlights the importance of early intervention to prevent problem drug use escalating . . . The data from 2025 also highlights the need for services to be flexible in responding to new forms of problem drug use and a changing cohort of people affected. There is also a growing demand for services in rural areas and among people in employment.”

Treatment demand for cocaine increased sharply in 2025 compared to the increase observed between 2023 and 2024. Powder cocaine increased by 282.5 per cent and crack cocaine increased by 906.4 per cent from 2017 to 2025.