Women are now among the fastest-growing demographics seeking help for cocaine addiction, according to the Rutland Centre, reports RTE.
In its latest annual report, the centre also highlighted a “surge” in cases involving complex, multiple addictions over the past year.
Cases where cocaine was the primary addiction rose from 17% in 2023 to 23% in 2024 — described as one of the “sharpest single-year increases” ever seen for a single substance at the facility, reports RTE.
In recent updates, the Health Research Board reported that cocaine had become the most common drug issue among new treatment entrants, making up over 30% of initial presentations — surpassing cannabis for the first time.
Among those who presented at the Rutland Centre with a secondary addiction (72%), 10.5% were related to gambling, while 33% involved cocaine use, reports RTE.
In response to what it calls an “escalating crisis,” the Rutland Centre has revealed plans to launch a dedicated inpatient detoxification unit later this year.
While there’s been a rise in the number of women seeking treatment for cocaine, men still accounted for two-thirds (66%) of the centre’s patients last year, reports RTE.
Women represented the remaining 34%.
Adults aged 25 to 44 made up the largest portion of those seeking support, suggesting that younger people — especially men — continue to be especially at risk.
Alcohol remains the most common addiction treated at the centre, though the number of alcohol-related cases has declined, reports RTE.
In 2023, 65% of patients had alcohol as their main issue. By 2024, this dropped to 52%.
Emma Kavanagh, Head of Clinical Services, said the nature of addiction is “shifting,” creating “challenges on many levels”, reports RTE.
“It is no longer isolated to one substance or behaviour – we’re seeing high rates of poly-addiction, often accompanied by serious mental health challenges,” she said, reports RTE.
Ms Kavanagh explained that some women don’t view cocaine as “particularly problematic,” pointing to a common misconception that the drug is “quite benign” and non-addictive.
She said: “I also hear from women as well, particularly younger women who might be more body conscious, more weight conscious, more health conscious, is this false narrative being perpetuated that cocaine isn’t as unhealthy for them as alcohol is, reports RTE.
“The kind of catch phrase that I hear is there are no calories in cocaine. So people think that it’s a healthier option for them than alcohol, and I think that’s partly why we’re seeing women leaning more towards cocaine use,” reports RTE.
She added that many younger women are aware alcohol can place them in “unsafe situations,” and that this is prompting some to turn to cocaine as a perceived safer alternative while socialising.
“Which is something that most generations will want to, you know, experiment with at some point. But there’s a real awareness with women of this generation that maybe alcohol leads them into very unsafe situations,” according to Ms Kavanagh.
“We see all the numbers for domestic violence and violence towards women are at an all time high. So women feel sometimes that cocaine and the buzz that you get from cocaine is maybe a safer place to be than being intoxicated down under the influence of alcohol,” she added, reports RTE.
According to Rutland Centre CEO Maebh Mullany, the increased use of cocaine is also being driven by how easy it is to obtain.
She said: “We’re being invited into schools because it’s in the lockers, it’s after sports. We’re being invited to organisations because it’s a problem in most teams. We’re hearing from people who come into the (treatment) service here that there’s an app on the dark web that they can order it and it can be drone delivered. That’s something that we’re hearing increasingly frequently, actually, and I think that’s the underlying stand out from this report. It’s the accessibility, availability and how that’s changing what’s needed then from services,” reports RTE.
In 2024, more than 200 individuals received intensive residential and outpatient treatment through the Rutland Centre.
The centre also reached thousands more through aftercare programmes, drop-in clinics, and services for families, reports RTE.
There has also been an increase in poly-addiction cases — where individuals are addicted to more than one substance or behaviour.
Due to the rising trend of poly-drug use, the Rutland Centre is changing its treatment approach, starting with the development of a dedicated detox unit, reports RTE.
Despite the shifting landscape, alcohol continues to be a key factor in addiction issues across Ireland, the organisation said.
Emer McGowan, who entered the centre at 41, said she sought help for her alcohol addiction because of her young children and desire to become a better person, reports RTE.
Fourteen years later, Emer’s life is drastically different — and she’s now about to become a grandmother.
She said she has finally found peace and happiness after a lifetime of searching.
She said: “I was always insecure, I was always full of anxiety, and of course I thought alcohol was my friend to help me to overcome all of that. Little did I know it was absolutely destroying me. I’m an average mother and it can happen to anybody, it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” reports RTE.
Since her recovery, Emer has dedicated herself to supporting others through their own journeys.
“We need to break the whole stigma on how people look and perceive addiction. We don’t choose to get it. It can be anybody’s Dad, mother, sister, whatever. It’s about just facing it head on,” she said, reports RTE.
Emer believes that seeking treatment was the best decision of her life and encourages others to do the same.
“If you put the drink down or whatever addiction that you have, you have the best chance of having the most wonderful life you know, and I can promise you that it’s an absolute promise,” she said, reports RTE.
Staff at the Rutland Centre handled more than 16,800 calls and oversaw over 11,000 aftercare visits — numbers the centre says highlight the growing need for addiction support in Ireland.
The organisation also posted its first financial surplus in several years, which has enabled expanded investment in new community services, such as the Addiction Screening Clinic and the Family Intervention & Access Programme, reports RTE.
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