Ireland participates in Global Drugs Survey

Drugs survey goes global. Image: Flickr/epSos.de

For the first time ever, Ireland is to be featured in the Global Drugs Survey.

The annual survey is run in conjunction with media organisations across the world and aims to chart the growth and developments of the drugs trade worldwide.

The Global Drugs Survey began in 1999 but initially intended as a once off event. In 2011 it was re-launched as a UK only survey but this year it has gone global in 17 different languages.

Last year over 15,000 people took part worldwide and so far this year almost 62,000 people have already completed the questionnaire.

The organisers aren’t just interested in hearing from people that regularly use drugs for medical reasons, they also want to hear from recreational drug users.

They are looking to see “what do people in the real world do to keep themselves safe when they take coke, pills, ketamine, acid, meth, heroin, valium, mephedrone and alcohol”, says Dr Adam Winstock, an addiction specialist working on the survey.

This year the survey is covering a number of new topics including prescription drug use and international drug policy.

Aside from the research into illegal and prescription drug use, the Global Drugs Survey also asks about people’s alcohol habits.

Last year it was found that 19% of people surveyed said that they were concerned about either their own or a friend’s alcohol consumption.

That’s compared to just 12% who were concerned about cannabis consumption. You can take part in the survey anonymously here:  www.globaldrugsurvey.com/GDS2014.