Irish people are among the biggest cocaine users in the world, coming in joint fourth. A new global study by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime has found that Ireland trails only Spain, the Netherlands and Australia for use of the drug.
Almost one in every 40 people here reported using cocaine in the previous year, while the report also outlined how users in Ireland are often given the drugs for free but are then ordered to carry out crimes to pay off their debts.
Meanwhile, he study carried out by the UN Office ON Drugs and Crime found that Ireland trails only Spain, the Netherlands and Australia for its use of cocaine. Over 2.4% of the population admitted to using the drug in the space of a year in Ireland.
While Australia accounted for the highest use of cocaine in the world - with 4.2 per cent of the population using the drug over the same period. The report raised concerns over the increased demand for the drug here - and whether it will lead to further violence among criminal groups.
It referenced reports into the violence and intimidation connected with the dealing of cocaine at a community level. And a potential new trend where children as young as ten are 'participating in intimidation practices'.
