Dawn Russell

Absolutely, Clare.

Drug use in Ireland has diversified massively over the last couple of years.

And at Anna Liffey, we're over 40 years old.

We've always worked with people with entrenched addictions who come from, you know, poverty stricken backgrounds and trauma.

But we're now supporting people who don't come from those backgrounds and who came into their problem substance use through the social scene and the nightlife scene.

It's unfortunately not replacing alcohol.

It's being used with alcohol as well, which is polysubstance use, which is high risk.

But I think one of the things, and many of your listeners might feel this as well, there has been a kind of a social normalisation of drug use in a recreational way in Ireland over the last number of years, which we are concerned about in the Analiffi.

So there may be some parts of people who are in their late teens, early 20s or 30s who feel that cocaine use is normal.

which is one aspect of why people are using it.

But also we did, you know, go through a terrifying global pandemic and many of our clients came of age during that time and socialising in groups to them and being out and about and putting themselves forward is quite frightening.

So they're really using these substances, particularly cocaine, ketamine and alcohol as almost a crutch to make them more confident when they're engaging with people.

It's a big part of it, and many of us, my generation, would have used alcohol in that way, so it's not a new phenomenon.

But alcohol is regulated and access to it is relatively limited to establishments that have a licence to sell it.

Whereas now with people who are socialising, it's street drugs that they're using and coming from all types of different nefarious dealers.

We see people slipping into addiction, Clare, and their lives unfortunately falling apart who come from that place of

I know how much I can use.

I know how to do this safely.

And there is no safe way of using illicit substances.

And we're very clear on that in the Anna Liffey.