Addiction Counsellors of Ireland

18/08/2026

📑National data on Early Intervention in Psychosis services highlighting the value of joined-up, multidisciplinary approaches when supporting people experiencing co-existing mental health and addiction needs.

In 2025, 31% of people presenting with a first episode of psychosis had used illegal substances in the previous month, while 23% had a diagnosis of addiction.

Perhaps most strikingly for addiction professionals, 75% of people with co-existing addiction engaged with addiction services in teams with integrated addiction support, compared with 25% in teams without integrated support.

Read More 👉 https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/press-releases/minister-butler-publishes-new-data-highlighting-strong-recovery-and-employment-outcomes-for-young-people-supported-by-the-early-intervention-psychosis-programme/

16/08/2026

📈 Interesting data on how drinking habits have changed since the pandemic, with some striking figures around drinking at home and the growth in off-licence sales.

In 2025, 55% of adults who drink said they were most likely to drink at home, while 31% reported drinking at home alone at least once a week.

As Sr Eileen Fahey, who founded Aiseiri, warned in 2020: “There are serious concerns at the future implications of this level of alcohol consumption. Alcohol consumption in the home skyrocketed during the pandemic and there are many of us worried about the long-term effects.”

Read More 👉

Over 50pc of Irish drinkers say home is their most frequent alcohol consumption environment

13/08/2026

📮Sharing our Strategic Plan 2026–2029 - copies are now in the post to organisations and stakeholders across the addiction sector and related health, education and research fields.

Our Plan sets out the priorities that will guide ACI over the next three years, focusing on:
1️⃣Serving our members and building our membership
2️⃣Supporting professional development
3️⃣Advocating and influencing for our members and sector
4️⃣Organisational development and sustainability

As the addiction sector enters an important period of change, we look forward to strengthening relationships and continuing to work collaboratively across the sector in the years ahead.

📖 Read the ACI Strategic Plan online: https://addictioncounsellors.ie/strategic-plan-2026-2029/

06/08/2026

🏨 Access to addiction treatment expands with The Rutland Centre opening a new outpatient service in Athlone, to meet growing demand from the west of Ireland.

The service will support people experiencing addiction, including the increasing number seeking help for gambling-related harm. According to the ESRI, around 1 in 30 Irish adults experience problem gambling, with those affected spending, on average, more than €1,000 per month on gambling.

Read More 👉 https://www.rte.ie/news/2026/0719/1584001-gambling-addiction-treatment/

06/08/2026

Sharing information from Sharing Point, who provide counselling and group facilitation services, with groups available in Coolock, Cavan and Navan.

📩 If you or your organisation has information, research, training opportunities, events or resources that may be relevant to addiction professionals, we'd be happy to share them with our members and wider network. Feel free to send us a DM.

If anyone is looking for group counselling, give us a shout and we can talk about our services

05/08/2026

Women with substance use disorders are not all the same. They have different backgrounds, experiences, needs, and circumstances, so services shouldn't assume a one-size-fits-all approach.

📘 How Women Experience Addiction Services in Cork, by Dr James Windle and Dr Joan Cronin University College Cork, highlights the importance of trauma-informed, gender-sensitive approaches, while recognising that factors such as age, class and life experience also shape women's needs.

👉https://cora.ucc.ie/server/api/core/bitstreams/b8bd31fd-652f-46bf-8ead-58097a691c8b/content

28/07/2026

📚 'Women and the Dublin Drug Economy', a recent study prepared by Marguerite Woods and Paula Kearney for CityWide Drugs Crisis Campaign.

Drawing on the accounts of 48 participants with lived experience, the report explores the gender-based lived experiences, power relationships and economic realities of women living in communities affected by drug use, bringing women's voices to the forefront of discussions on the drug economy.

It offers valuable insights for addiction professionals and others seeking to better understand the experiences of women affected by substance use and the wider drug economy.

👉 Read Online:

Prepared by Marguerite Woods and Paula Kearney for Citywide, this report is qualitative study of women’s involvement in the Dublin drug economy. The broad aim of the study is to explore the …

27/07/2026

The Single-Use Vapes Bill has passed both Houses of the Oireachtas and now goes to the President for consideration.

The legislation will ban the sale of single-use vapes, progressed by Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Jennifer Murnane O Connor TD Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, forms part of a wider programme aimed at reducing the appeal and accessibility of va**ng and ni****ne products to young people.

Read More 👉https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/press-releases/ministers-for-health-pass-single-use-vapes-bill-through-both-houses-of-the-oireachtas/

23/07/2026

📰 Prime Time explores a number of perspectives on Ireland's approach to drug policy and addiction, including the experiences of families affected by drug-related intimidation, the proposed decriminalisation of possession for personal use, and the role of health-led responses to addiction.

The discussion raises important issues for those working in addiction and related services, including how people experiencing addiction can best access support and treatment.

Read / Watch Here 👉 https://www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2026/0710/1582714-threats-broken-windows-and-the-drugs-decriminalisation-debate/

21/07/2026

An investigation from The Journal highlighting the growing issue of nitrous oxide.

We've also heard from our community of accredited addiction counsellors and addiction workers that nitrous oxide use is becoming a more frequent issue in their work with young people, making awareness of its risks increasingly important.

Read More 👉 https://www.thejournal.ie/investigates-nitrous-oxide-discarded-canister-collection-7084853-Jul2026/?utm_source=thejournal&utm_content=top-stories