According to a survey in the Dublin area, carried out by the Health Research Board and published in 1992, on persons receiving treatment for drug misuse, opiates were the primary drugs of misuse among 80 per cent of drug misusers. These would be drugs such as heroin, morphine, methadone and pethadine. Cannabis was the primary drug of abuse among 12 per cent of these drug misusers and other drugs such as barbituates, amphetamines, hallucinogens, cocaine and solvents were the primary drugs of abuse among the remaining 8 per cent of misusers.
There is nothing to suggest that there has been any noticeable change in the pattern of drug abuse since that survey was carried out.