58% of presentations this year were for alcohol

The majority of people who presented for treatment at services run by Coolmine Therapeutic Community in Cork and Kerry in the first nine months of 2026 did so to be treated for alcohol addiction.

Alcohol accounted for 58% of treatment presentations according to the organisation's latest regional Q3 trends report, which was released on Monday 9 November.

This is a 1% increase compared to the same period last year, and is higher compared to the national figure of 41%.

While alcohol presentations saw a slight rise, there was a small decrease in the number of presentations for powder cocaine.

In Cork and Kerry, powder cocaine accounted for 18% of presentations, a decrease compared to last year's figure of 22% for the same period. Crack cocaine meanwhile saw a slight increase, from 1% to 2%.

Together, alcohol and cocaine usage accounted for 76% of all presentations to Coolmine services in the first nine months of 2026.

The organisation said that despite the lower share of presentations, Coolmine's cocaine programme in the South-West received 76 new referrals in the third quarter alone, which it said highlighted the continuing demand for support.

Other drugs featured in the figures included cannabis at 12%, up from 11% - heroin at 3%, and benzodiazepines at 5%.

Stephen Cashman, the Southwest Regional Services Manager at Coolmines said: "In Cork and Kerry, alcohol continues to bring more people to treatment than any other substance. Because drinking is so much a part of social life, people can live with its consequences for a long time before recognising that they need support," he said.

He also said that a demand for treatment for cocaine use is also clear from the figures, despite a four percent reduction. "A smaller share of overall presentations does not remove the need for specialist support for people affected by cocaine use.

"When someone seeks treatment, the benefits of recovery can extend to their children, partners, and wider family. Supporting those relationships is an important part of helping people build a more stable future.

"Recovery can mean reconnecting with children, resuming education, or finding a way back into work. We need to give more people the support and opportunity to make those changes," he said.

The prevalence of presentations for treatment for alcohol is in keeping with the findings of the organisation's 2025 Annual Report, which found that the substance was the most common primary substance across Ireland, accounting for 37% of presentations last year.