Tag: News & Views

Ireland has the third highest drug-death rate in the European Union. Ireland’s numbers alone are four times higher than the average rate of drug-death across the EU as a whole. 6,096 people died of drug related deaths between the years of 2004 and 2014 in Ireland. 697 people died in 2014. The National Alcohol Diary […]

Our colleague and friend Billy Anderson tragically lost his life yesterday in a car accident. He will be sorely missed by everyone here at Smarmore Castle. Words from our team: “Everyone loved Billy. Kind, loving, compassionate, funny, generous, and energetic are just some of the words uttered this morning by his peers to describe him.” […]

For the latest information on Recovery Month 2021 visit our Recovery Month webpage. You would be forgiven for not knowing that September is Recovery Month — not just in Ireland but all over the world. Part of the problem is that the word “recovery” means different things: to those of us in the rehab sector it means […]

Written by Christopher Burn What is Recovery Month? Now in its 29th year, National Recovery Month (Recovery Month) is held every September to demonstrate to people that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable those with a mental and/or substance use disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life. It was started in […]

Heroin: An opiate with strong sedative and painkilling effects. You can feel long-term drowsiness as well as fall into a coma and stop breathing. It can stay in your system for three to eight days. Cannabis: A hallucinogen made from the dry leaves and flowering parts of the female plant. While you can get a […]

Drug addiction became popular in the 1970s with many Irish using heroin. According to the Medico-Social Research Board, 14% from ages 14-24 in the north side of Dublin were using heroin all year in 1983. Many in Ireland use opiates, sedatives, stimulants, solvents, hallucinations, and drugs from headshops. Ireland needs to increase efforts to prevent […]

How To Keep Up With Change The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said that “change is the only constant in life.” Not only is change always happening, but it is also unavoidable. Being afraid of change is expected. Especially when change comes unexpectedly, and everything you are used to becomes different. The truth is that change is […]

Crack-cocaine was a popular drug in the 1980’s. In America in particular and echoed throughout the world a drug epidemic spread. Few countries were hit with the devastation that America was. After the height of cocaine use in the disco era of the 1970’s, the eighties turned cocaine addiction into crack cocaine addiction. Maintaining a […]

In the year 2015, the last year of analyzed data used for the recent statistics released by the Health Research Board, more people sought out treatment for alcohol than opiates and cannabis. Alcohol misuse is a primary problem for most people seeking treatment in Ireland. Between 2009 and 2015, more than 56,000 people were treated […]

Solpadeine is an over the counter pain relief sold in Ireland, the UK and other parts of the world. Drugs like Solpadeine aren’t sold in the US because they contain an active opioid ingredient: codeine. Irish governments have set restrictions on Solpadeine and other codeine-containing compounds in current years because of Ireland’s growing problem with […]

Fixed-odds betting terminals are taking Britain and Europe by storm. Highly addictive gambling machines are being inconspicuously placed in everyday locations, casinos and betting houses not included. According to The Daily Mail, a British publication, “The machines, which allow users to wager up to £100 every 20 seconds on casino games such as roulette and […]